
°* .^. < 











■• "V**' /jfiBT*, 'W 



• AT ^ 








_\^$5Jth»% ° /I 






*0« 






• V* • . *fe% <v • • • ^ *\> 
















*°o 



4* SLsrtoS. 








^ 

o 



>* .*^L'. 



*. ♦•••• J? 



>°V '. 



I V * 

















0' *. 






0, 





> 




*b& 







>°*« 









£*?0 



DISEASES 



OF THE 



DIGESTIVE ORGANS 

AND' 

CONSTIPATION, 

TREATED HOlftEOPATHICALLY. 

BY W. BROACKES, M. D. and M, ft C. S. 

SECOND AMERICAN, 

rSOM THE THIRD HONDON EDITION. 

WITH PREFACE AND ADDITIONS, ' 
BY 

A. C. BECKER, M-D. 

NEW-YORK: 

WILLIAM RADDE, 322 BROADWAY. 

1848. 






^ 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, by 

WILLIAM RADDE, 

In the Clerk's Office, of the District Court, for the Southern District 
of New York. 



H t Ludwlg, Printer, 
,70 JVesey-st. 



CONTENTS 







Page 


Advertisement, ii 


• 


; 5 


Preface, . . . # « 


« i 


7 


Structure of the First Passages, 


• 


9 


Their Derangements, . 


. 


10 


Exercise and Mechanical Means to Remedy 




these, .... 


. 


11 


Aphthae — Thrush, 


* 


12 


Stomacace — Ulcerated Gums, 


* 


.14 


Bad Breath, .... 


. 


16 


Flatulence, .... 


. 


16 


Spasms of the Stomach, 


* 


17 


Vomiting, .... 


• . 


19 


Derangement of the Stomach, 


• 


20 


Dyspepsia and Hepatic Affections, 


. 


33 


Obstruction in the Intestinal Canal, 


. 


42 


Constipation, .... 


. t 


47 


Colic, ..... 


. 


57 


Hemorrhoids, .... 


. < 


G2 


Enteritis, or Intestinal Inflammation, 


, 


81 



IV. 


CONTENTS. 




Diarrhoea, 


• • • 


88 


Dysentery, . 


• 


, 100 


Sporadic Cholera, 


« . • 


. 109 


Asiatic Cholera, . 


» • • 


. 110 


Cholerine, 


• 


. 114 


Worms, 


• • • 


. 117 


Homoeopathic Diet and Regimen 5 


. 121 



ADVERTISEMENT, 



There is, perhaps, nothing in London life so re- 
markable as its combination of epicurean and sed- 
entary habits. Its diseases, as remarkably, are 
precisely those which should arsie from such causes ; 
namely, affections of the abdominal viscera. These 
diseases, however, do not in general arise im- 
mediately from the habits now mentioned, but 
chiefly from such habits at once overloading and 
rendering torpid the intestinal canal, or producing 
constipation. 

Constipation may, accordingly, be reckoned the 
parent of metropolitan disease. It abounds in 
every district, in every age, and in every profes- 
sion; and its consequences tend, perhaps, more 
than those of any other affection, to embitter life, 
and render it burdensome ; for it is not only in its 
evident effects that we must regard it — in dys- 
pepsia, affections of the liver, diarrhoea, dysentery, 



VI. ADVERTISEMENT. 

&c. ; but in its less direct, though not less sure,, 
influence on the circulating and the nervous system. 
Constipation, happily, is peculiarly under the 
control of reformed Homoeopathy; and scarcely less 
happily, it brings its beneficent aid without any of 
the pills, potions and boluses, which constitute so 
disgusting and hateful a tax on social indulgences, 
and which poison even their happiest moments by 
anticipations of the frightful and inevitable future. 



PREFACE. 



In acute cases the Editor recommends the em- 
ployment of the tinctures diluted in water, or the 
third trituration dry on the tongue. 

If the former, and the patient be a child, one 
or two drops should be well mixed in a tumbler- 
ful of water, and a teaspoonful of the solution 
given at a dose ; if it be for an adult, from three 
to five drops in the same quantity of water, and 
a tablespoonful of the solution at a dose, to be re- 
gulated by the age, sex, constitution and tempera- 
ment of the patient. 

The more nervous the temperament, and the 
greater the severity of the symptoms, so much 
the quicker and more powerful is the action of 
the drugs. 

If the3^ be administered in the third trituration, 
one or two grains should be a dose for children, 
five grs. for adults. 

In chronic diseases, no dilution below the sixth 
should be, none above the thirtieth need be em- 
ployed. 

The repetition of the medicine depends entirely 
on circumstances, on the intensity of the S3^mp- 
toms, the nature of the disease, &c. &c. 

As a general rule it may be laid down, however, 
that acute diseases require a more, and chronic, 
a less frequent repetition. 



Vlll. PREFACE. 

The more rapid the course an acute disease 
runs, and the more intensely and dangerously it 
commences, so much the more quickly the doses 
must follow each other ; particularly in violent 
inflammations, when it may become necessary to 
repeat the medicine every fifteen, or even five 
minutes during a paroxysm, although as a general 
thing once in two or three hours is sufficient. 

When a medicine is obviously exercising a be- 
neficial action, it should not be repeated until the 
patient ceases to improve ; if within an hour after 
its administration no improvement has taken place, 
it may be repeated, or another substituted for it, 
according to the symptoms. 

If the remedy be homoeopathic to the disease, 
and if given in a low dilution, it may produce an 
exacerbation of all the symptoms for a short time. 
This is called the primary effect of the medicine, 
and is to be distinguished from aggravation of 
the symptoms caused by increased violence of the 
disease, by the fact that the medicinal aggravation 
comes on suddenly, and without previous amelio- 
ration ; the aggravation caused by the disease 
appears gradually, and frequently following an 
amelioration. 

The additions made to the original English 
work are indicated by brackets. 

A. C. B. 

New-York, Dec. 31, 1847. 



DISEASES 



OF THE 



DIGESTIVE ORGANS 



AND 



CONSTIPATION, 

TREATED HOMGEOPATHICALLY. 



The first passages. — Few persons are ig- 
norant that these, technically called the pri- 
mse viae, consist of the cesophagus or gul- 
let, the stomach, the small, and the great 
intestine, that the small intestine, which is 
of nearly similar diameter throughout, is con- 
sidered as composed of three portions : the 
duodenum which commences at the smaller 
or right extremity of the stomach, the jeju- 
num which is its continuation, and the ilium, 
which, continuing the latter, terminates in 
the great intestine; and that the great intestine 
which, though of much greater diameter than 
the small one, is also nearly similar through- 
out, is considered as composed likewise of 
three portions, the coecum which forms a ba : 



10 DISEASES OP THE 

with a vermiform appendix where the small 
intestine opens into it ; the colon which is its 
continuation, forming by far the greater por- 
tion of the great intestine — in the arch which 
ascends on the right side, crosses under the 
stomach, and descends on the left side ; and 
the rectum which, continuing the latter, ter- 
minates at the anus. 

It is also well known that there are innu- 
merable apertures, more or less minute, on 
the whole inner surface of these passages, as 
well as the openings of ducts from the liver, 
gall bladder, pancreas, etc. which pour into 
them digestive and lubricating fluids which 
blend with the food, convert it into chyme, 
and facilitate its passage ; and likewise that 
innumerable other apertures on the same 
surface, form the beginnings of the absorbent 
vessels by which the nutritive matter is 
taken up from the chyme and poured into the 
great veins near the heart to increase the 
quantity of the circulating blood. 

Such is the general idea of the digestive 
apparatus, and though it is less complex than 
some other portions of the organization, it is 
evidently liable to many causes of derange- 
ment, in very different portions of itss:ruc- 
ture. 

Their derangements. — The more obvious 
causes of intestinal derangement, are evi- 
dently errors in the quality and quantity of 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 12 

the food we use, and neglect of regular eva- 
cuations. 

Exercise and mechanical means to remedy 
these, — To promote evacuation, no means are 
either so natural or so effective as regular 
and abundant bodily exercise. In the metro- 
polis > and especially in the city of London^ 
this is by some imagined to consist in a. 
bustling and merely fatiguing walk through 
crowded streets ; but no exercise is of much 
use that does not induce perspiration — the 
expulsion of the old and useless or noxious 
matters of the body, before it is gorged by 
new ones. 

In addition to exercise, it is always bene- 
fical to attempt to obtain evacuations at a 
stated period of the day. Now, as persons 
when in good health, have usually an inclina- 
tion to relieve the bowels soon after break- 
fast (because the pressure of the distended 
stomach upon the transverse arch of the colon 
causes it to contract and propel its contents 
towards the rectum, which becoming dis- 
tended, gives rise to the desire to relieve 
itself,) this opportunity should never be ne- 
glected, for the activity of the absorbents in 
the bowels soon removes the softer particles, 
and the bulk being thus reduced, the disposi- 
tion subsides. 

When exercise and this precaution have 
been neglected, and when the bowels remain 



12 DISEASES OF THE 

very inert, accompanied with some degree of 
hardness and fulness of the lower part of the 
abdomen, nothing will be more conducive to 
restoring regularity of the bowels than the 
use of lavements, in conjunction with Ho- 
moeopathic remedies. 

Perhaps the simplest and best way of con- 
sidering the affections of the primae vise, is to 
begin with those of the mouth, and to take 
those of the stomach, intestines, etc.. accord- 
ing to the succession of the parts. For that 
reason, I may first consider : 



APHTHJE— THEUSH. 

These are pustules or vesicles which may 
have their seat on any part of the membrane 
which lines the cavity of the mouth. They 
are sometimes distinct and dispersed, and 
sometimes approximated, so as occasionally 
to form a sort of continuous membrane, which 
entirely covers the tongue, palate, gums and 
pharynx. The precursory symptoms are 
great agitation, want of sleep, difficulty of 
breathing, foetid breath, hoarse and feeble 
voice, tongue a little swollen, dry and mem- 
branous only in the inside, thirst consider- 
able, burning and redness in the throat and 
mouth, fatigue and somnolence in particular, 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 13 

deadening of the senses. Then appear little 
points or elevations of a pale or grey color, 
which grow by degrees, and form superficial 
pustules, round, of the size of a millet-seed, 
and filled with a sanious liquid. The viscous 
mucosities which escape from them soon form 
little crusts which fall speedily, or at the end 
of a few hours, and are renewed more or less 
promptly. 

Aphthae are mild when they are white, 
pearl-grey, or yellow, transparent, humid, 
small, easily broken, isolated, when they fall 
easily and quickly, and affect only the mouth. 
But frequently they become malignant, and 
then they are larger, dull, blue, grey, brown, 
blackish, gangrenous, corroding, foetid, nu- 
merous, close, confluent, covered with a 
thick and very adhesive substance, or quite 
dry and hard, reappearing frequently, and 
easily invading the pharynx, the intestinal 
canal, and even the trachea. 

The aphthae which often attack children at 
the breast are almost always mild. It is 
these only that we have here to consider ; 
the others are always a consequence of some 
serious malady. 

The most common cause of aphthae in little 
children is food of bad quality, or which 
does not suit their age. 

The best remedy in this case is a small 
dose of borax, 30th, which usually dispels 

2* 



14 DISEASES OF THE 

the evil in two or three days. We may also 
administer ocidum sulphuricum,, 30th, and 
mercurius vivus, 12th, if no circumstance 
contraindicate their employment. 

[Against this disease, so frequent in chil- 
dren, we have an admirable remedy in mere, 
solub., a few doses of which are suffi- 
cient to effect a speedy cure. In the major- 
ity of cases, particularly at the commence- 
ment of the disease, borax will make but lit- 
tle, if any impression ; and this remedy is 
only indicated when the aphthae have spread 
over the mucous surface of the stomach and 
intestines. Such cases are rare among chil- 
dren, and to be met with chiefly amongst 
old people. If mere. sol. should fail, it ought 
to be followed by sulphur. When the aph- 
thae assume a brown, livid, or blackish 
color, become confluent, and sordes cover 
the teeth ; if diarrhoea sets in, and we find a 
small frequent pulse, burning skin, arsen. 
must be administered.] 



STOMACACE.— ULCERATED OR FCETID 
GUMS. 

This name is given to a disease which 
begins by attacking the mouth, its glands 
an d thepalate. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 15 

The first symptoms are stiffness and shoot- 
ings in the throat, a coppery taste with heat, 
burning, redness, swelling and extreme sen- 
sibility of the gums, the inside of the lips, 
the cheeks, the tongue, and the palate. To 
these phenomena are afterwards joined a 
cadaverous smell from the mouth, painful 
swelling of the glands of the neck, abundant 
flow from the mouth of saliva, or of viscous 
and foetid mucus. The gums are spongy, 
extremely swollen or retracted, the teeth 
painful, dirty, and often loose ; mastication, 
deglutition, speech, and respiration painful. 
There are formed, on the parts affected, 
small flat ulcerations, very sensible and ob- 
stinate. These ulcerations extend ; their base 
is dirty or spongy, their edges are soft ; little 
elevated, inflamed, and unequal. In a great 
number of cases we observe spongy excres- 
cences of different form, color, consistence, 
and size. Very frequently there flows from 
the ulcerated and tumefied parts, especially 
the gums, and particularly when we touch 
these parts, a putrid sanies, or liquid and 
deep-red blood. At the same time there is 
great weakness, and sometimes slight febrile 
movements. 

The best remedy against this disease is 
mercurius solubilis, 12th, which often com- 
pletely cures it in a few days. 

[If in addition to the above symptoms, the 



16 DISEASES OF THE 

tongue is parched, black, arid cracked, we 
must have recourse to arsen. 
Next to it, sulph. is valuable.] 



BAD BREATH. 

The cause of this is often uncleanliness of 
the teeth ; and it consequently disappears if 
they are cleaned, and if the mouth is rinsed 
with warm water after eating. 

If the odor come from the stomach or 
lungs, it must be opposed by the following 
remedies: carho animalis, 5th, agaricus, 12th, 
iodiam, 30th, if it is observed immediately 
after washing the mouth with spring water ; 
ammonium, 18th, if it is felt by the patient ; 
baryta, 18th, if it is strong, but not felt by 
the patient; and sulphur, 6th, if it is aug- 
mented after eating. 



FLATULENCE. 

I refer here only to such flatulence as de- 
pends upon errors of regimen, and is of short 
duration. Flatulence occurs most commonly 
after eating certain vegetables, especially if 
these have been taken at the same time with 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 17 

fermented liquors. It does not cause pain, 
but it swells the abdomen, embarrasses re- 
spiration, and usually occasions general unea- 
siness. China, 12th, commonly produces 
good effects. However, we usually give 
nux vomica in preference to persons of vivid 
temperament, and pulsatitta, 12th, to women 
of a mild disposition. The latter is also in- 
dicated when flatulence follows the use of fat 
food. 



SPASMS OF THE STOMACH. 

In certain cases of spasm in the stomach, 
bryony deserves to be noticed as a proper 
remedy ; and the necessity of using it is in- 
dicated by the following symptoms : the 
softest food or liquid occasions a constrictive 
pain in the stomach, frequently manifested 
whilst eating, or at all events immediately 
afterwards, accompanied by a sensation as if 
the epigastric region were swollen ; and the 
application of the hand diminishes or at times 
removes the pain by producing eructation. 

Case. — A man, aged thirty-eight, of ple- 
thoric hahit. suffered sudden and violent 
pressure at the stomach. He suffered most 
after eating, with constant numbness and 



18 DISEASE'S OF THE" 

pricking in the hands, and loss of feeling; 
The patient looked ill, perspired all day, and 
was very weak and peevish. Paralysis of 
the upper extremities was dreaded ; but two 
doses oirhus, 4th, gutt. 1, at intervals of six 
days, put a stop to that condition. This was 
succeeded by a shooting pain across the ster- 
num, which was increased by motion, not by 
respiration, and was most acute when the 
stomach was empty. The patient constantly 
suffered a trembling or sensation of leaping 
in the pit of the stomach. All the symptoms 
were removed by bryony^ 6th,_ gl. 1, one 
dose. 

Very severe spasms in the stomach, grip- 
ing and twisting pains in the epigastrium., 
accompanied by vomiting of a clear and acid 
liquid, towards evening or even night, and 
sour eructations, were cured with phosph. 
I0th, gutt. 1, administered every third or 
fourth day. In one case, the spasm was so- 
violent that several medical men believed it 
to be a schirrus commencing in the pylorus. 

[Many other remedies have proved very 
successful in this distressing complaint. 
Where there is evident tendency to conges- 
tion, with great sensibility of the pit of the 
stomach, and pressure and spasm after eat- 
ing, sour eructations, general sensation of 
heat, frequently combined with uneasiness, 
oppression, full hard pulse, and sluggishness 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 19 

of the bowels, nux vom. is indicated, which 
may be alternated with opium. Irregulari- 
ties of the menstruation are frequently the 
cause of the above symptoms, and if so, be- 
sides the above remedies, ignatia and coccu- 
lus will be found serviceable.] 



VOMITING. 

The treatment of this affection is regulated 
principally by the causes which produce it, 
because they determine its nature. 

If the vomiting arise from an excess of 
nourishment, it would be Avrong to prevent 
it by the employment of medicine; for it 
may be considered as an effort of nature to 
free the stomach from substances which 
overload it, and thus to prevent sometimes a 
serious disease. But it cannot always effect 
this evacuation, and art is often necessary to 
assist it. 

In vomiting, when it exists not as a symp- 
tom of other diseases, but as a dynamic af- 
fection arising from the nerves of the sto- 
mach, ipecacuanha is valuable. This is of 
frequent occurrence in children, in whom 
the slightest irritation of the stomach, caused 
either by food or liquid, suffices to produce 
immediate vomiting. 



20 DISEASES OF THE 

In the sickness of pregnant women also, 
ipecacuanha is useful. 

[In the sickness of pregnant women the 
most approved remedy is cocculus, and the 
experience of many practitioners appears to 
have been unfavorable to the employment 
of ipecac. Next to cocculus, sepia and 
sulph. deserve attention, particularly if latent 
psora be present. ] 



DERANGEMENT OF THE STOMACH. 

This has for its cause excess of nourish- 
ment, food and drink which are heavy, indi- 
gestible, fat, sour, tainted, etc. Returns, 
either acid, or of the same taste with what 
has been eaten, disgust, heaviness, pressure 
and pain in the stomach, swelling and fulness 
of that region, trembling of the lower lip, 
vertigo, weight of the head, titillation or 
roughness of the throat, spitting, haemoptysis, 
disagreeable taste in the mouth, foul tongue, 
inclination to vomit, heat in the throat, weak- 
ness, anxiety, countenance puffed, pale, and 
sometimes covered with spots of different 
colors, emission of fetid air, the urine some- 
times mixed with mucus, etc. Such are the 
symptoms of derangement of the stomachy 
which usually show themselves some hours 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 21 

after a repast, and speedily terminate by 
acid vomiting of the nature of the aliments 
which have been taken, and sometimes of a 
green color. However, there often remain 
for some days, anorexia, pain of the bowels, 
or diarrhoea. 

Nux vomica 26th, remedies derangements 
of the stomach caused by nocturnal dissipa- 
tion, by the abuse of wine and of coffee, or 
by severe cold, and presenting the following 
symptoms : sensation of veriigo, confusion of 
the head, heaviness in the back of the head, 
shooting pains in the molar teeth, ringing in 
the ears, heat in the face, red and distinct 
efflorescences on the forehead, the nose, and 
the angles of the mouth, tongue white and 
coated, dryness of the mouth, with thirst, 
much mucus in the mouth, heat of the throat, 
want of appetite, loss of taste, nausea, much 
water in the mouth, vomiting, colics, pres- 
sure at the stomach, tension in the abdomen, 
constipation, agitated sleep, want of disposi- 
tion for intellectual labor, general relaxa- 
tion, shootings in the limbs, discontent, que- 
rulous disposition, and internal agitation. 

Case 1. — Mrs. B. had for some years been 
suffering from her stomach, which refused 
almost everything ; the matters vomited 
Avere bitter and sour. The patient became 
daily thinner, and looked worse, and indeed 

3 



22 DISEASES OP THE 

had altogether the appearance of being very 
ill. 

Six doses of nux vomica in solution were 
administered, and to her great astonishment 
she found herself so much relieved that she 
not only digested her food, but speedily re- 
covered her plumpness and her strength. 

Cas*, 2. — Mrs. S. had been an invalid for 
a year. She could not eat anything without 
vomiting immediately, and if the vomitings 
did not occur naturally, it was necessary to 
stimulate them, from a feeling as if the sto- 
mach would burst. Sometimes vomiting 
took place immediately after eating, at others 
not for several hours. The matters dis- 
charged were sour and bitter ; at times the 
patient vomited first water and a glairy 
matter, and afterwards the food she had 
taken. The motions were difficult and hard. 
The flatulence did not escape, but caused 
pricking pains on each side. The least pres- 
sure upon the region of the stomach was pain- 
ful. The slightest mction appeared likely to 
produce suffocation, because the cramp in the 
stomach rose to the neck, and caused contrac- 
tions. There were frequent cramps in the 
calves of the legs, especially at night, loss of 
strength and substance, complexion changed. 

Nux vomica was given in dilution, a dose 
every hour : four sufficed to cure her. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 23 

Cramp of the stomach, connected with 
this derangement, is curable by the same 
means. 

This disease is very common, usually with- 
out fever, long and intermittent, attacking 
chiefly women, and appearing sometimes to 
be hereditary. In the beginning it is merely 
a pressure, a very disagreeable constriction 
and pinching in the region affected, espe- 
cially at the pit of the stomach and the left 
side, and sometimes in the back. Afterward, 
the pains become very sensible, tearing, 
burning, insupportable, and are felt even in 
the gullet. In their highest degree of inten- 
sity they are dreadful, accompanied by con- 
striction, twisting, anxiety, oppression, dart- 
ings in the breast and back. The attack re- 
mains at first for some minutes, then for a 
quarter of an hour, an hour, and even for 
half a day, and it often ends by vomiting. 
The pain usually disappears when the sto- 
mach is empty or contains only light and 
mild food, and it returns after a repast. It 
is increased in an erect position ; the leaning 
forward or being bent, and even pressure, 
mitigates it. Sometimes the region of the 
stomach is rather hard and swollen, more 
commonly it is contracted, very seldom is it 
sensible or tense. A disposition to vomit is 
commonly observed, but it is not always fol- 
lowed by vomiting. The latter produces a 



24 DISEASES OF THE 

brief alleviation. Cramps of the stomach 
are more or less obstinate according to their 
cause ; and they sometimes resist for a long 
time the best directed treatment. They 
often disappear for several weeks, and re- 
turn again at regular periods. 

The usual causes of this disease are errors 
of regimen often and long reiterated, irregu- 
larity of eating and drinking, abuse of spirit- 
uous liquors and coffee, vexation, anger, fre- 
quent chills, especially of the feet. 

The remedies to be opposed to this disease 
are nux, ignatia, pulsatilla, and crude coffee. 
The complete cure sometimes requires the 
use of antipsorics ; but it is then necessary 
that an able physician should direct their 
administration . 

Nux vomica 30th, particularly suits per- 
sons who are addicted to the use of coffee 
and spirituous liquors, especially when we 
observe in them the following symptoms: 
constriction, pressure, tightening, cramps in 
the stomach, with a sensation as if the dress 
compressed the body in that region, a sen- 
sation which may be compared also to that 
produced by much flatulence in the left side, 
under the ribs, a tightening of the chest, 
which in many cases extends between the 
shoulders and the loins, nausea especially 
during the attack, much water in the mouth, 
returns of sour bitter liquid, with or without 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 25 

burning in the pharynx, palpitations of the 
heart, with anxiety, acid or putrid taste, 
constipation, swelling of the abdomen by 
flatulence, sometimes headache on one side, 
sometimes also pressive pain in the forehead. 
If the remedy has diminished the symptoms, 
without making them entirely disappear, a 
second dose must be given at the end of 
three or four days, and afterwards a third 
one. 

Sometimes this state of the stomach is con- 
nected with hepatic affection, and is simi- 
larly remedied. 

Case. — Mr. B., aged twenty-eight, of good 
constitution and bilious sanguine tempera- 
ment, was seized suddenly on the 19th of 
July, 1836, with a violent constrictive pain 
in the epigastrium, and vomiting, consequent 
upon great mental affliction. His stomach 
rejected all food both solid and liquid almost 
immediately. The epigastric pain was in- 
cessanjL and not increased by pressure. The 
tongue was in its natural state, the patient 
having neither thirst nor appetite. The cir- 
culation was in no way disordered, but 
there was suborbital cephalalgia and general 
uneasiness. The skin had a very marked 
icteric complexion. 

On the morning of the 20th of July, all 
these symptoms had been in operation for 

3* 



26 DISEASES OF THE 

twelve hours. Three globules of nux vomica 
of the twenty-fourth dilution, dissolved in 
two spoonfuls of water, were then adminis- 
tered. The same evening the pain wa 
greatly relieved, the vomitings had ceased 
and the patient took some broth without 
experiencing any inconvenience. The fol- 
lowing morning there was no symptom of 
gastralgia remaining, nor has it re-appeared 
since. 

In this case nux vomica effected a speedy 
and desirable cure, because it was exactly in 
accordance with the occasional cause, name- 
ly, with the mental distress and temperament 
of the patient, with his moral condition, and 
also with the cephalalgia, epigastric pain, vo- 
mitings, and even with the icteric complex- 
ion of the skin. 

Sometimes this state is connected with he- 
morrhoidal and menstrual affection, and may 
be similarly treated with advantage. Indeed 
spasms in the stomach, resulting either from 
plethora and sanguine congestions in the ab- 
domen, or simply from increased sensibility 
of the nerves of the stomach, may be treated 
with nux vomica. The former case is met 
with more frequently than the latter, and 
then the spasm of the stomach is found to be 
connected either with hemorrhoids or irregu- 
lar menstruation, in such a manner that the 
customary sanguine congestions towards the 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 27 

hemorrhoidal or uterine vessels are disor- 
dered. 

Case. — A lady, aged twenty-foil?*, had 
been suffering for seven years from pains in 
the stomach ; during the whole of which time 
she had taken nothing but cold milk, as other 
aliment produced the most violent pains in 
the stomach, spasms, nausea, and vomiting. 
In addition, she labored under a flow of 
blood towards the head, pressive headache, 
dimness of sight, hemorrhoids, general cold- 
ness of the body, especially of the hands, 
feet, suppression of the menses during five 
years, great irritability, and meagreness of 
habit. Eight doses of nux Sth, 3, one daily, 
before bed-time, and four of bryony 8th, 3. 
sufficed to diminish the disease to such an 
extent, that the patient after fourteen days 
of this treatment, was able to eat roast fowl 
and roast beef, without experiencing any 
pain or heaviness at the stomach. 

Sometimes this state is connected with af- 
fections of the head, 

Spasm in the stomach, with nausea and 
eructation, acid and bitter vomitings, anx- 
iety and oppression of the chest, palpitation 
of the heart, contraction of the abdomen, 
blind hemorrhoids, bilious temperament, 
may often be cured by calcar. carbon. 

A female, aged twenty-eight, experienced 



23 DISEASES OF THE 

frequent frontal headache, followed by bil- 
ious vomitings, pressure at the stomach as if 
caused by a stone, pain in the right hypo- 
choncftium, becoming pressive and shooting 
upon stooping, motions unfrequent, difficult 
and hard, menstruation painful, continuing 
for eight or ten days, followed by hemor- 
rhoidal tumors, weakness, perspiration and 
agitated sleep ; was cured in eight days by 
two doses of coccal. 6th, gl. 1. 

Pulsatilla is particularly suitable when a 
repast is composed of aliments which are fat, 
and when it presents the following symp- 
toms : taste bitter, salt or putrid mucus in 
the mouth, roughness in the throat, bilious 
returns, want of appetite, repugnance to 
warm food, fulness of the stomach, swelling 
of the abdomen, tension below the last ribs, 
borborygmi, constipation, or at least slow, 
difficult and scanty evacuation, shivering, 
depression, shooting in the limbs, and ill hu- 
mor. 

Case. — A patient experienced a sensation 
of tightness above the navel as if the intes- 
tines were inflated. At times there was a 
round lump as large as a fist, hard and pro- 
minent, the bowels painful at the slightest 
touch, very painful pricking pains on each 
side of the abdomen, feet cold, head burning, 
febrile irritation, frequent tendency to sick- 






ALIMENTARY CANAL. 29 

ness, followed at times by vomiting. This 
disease, which attacked the patient more es- 
pecially in the evening, arose in the first in- 
stance from cold. 

In cases of this sort, pulsat ilia is an actual 
specific ; the exhibition of it is generally fol- 
lowed by.sleep, and the patient awakes per- 
fectly cured. The attack may return, but 
at all events the intervals are long. 

Some persons who are very irritable, ex- 
tremely sensible, and subject to spasmodic 
and nervous accidents, are often attacked, 
from causes slight in appearance, with a vo- 
miting of viscous and whitish mucus, usu- 
ally preceded by vertigo and pains in the ab- 
domen, followed by diarrhoea. Pulsatilla 
18th, and cocculus 24th, are successfully em- 
ployed in these cases. 

The derangement of the stomach may 
have been caused by anger preceding a re- 
past. The following are the circumstances 
which present themselves in this case : heat, 
and redness in the face, painful headache, 
redness of the eyes with burning, general 
excitement of the nervous system, great sen- 
sibility, loss of appetite, continued bitter 
taste in the mouth, bilious eructations, vo- 
miting of green and bilious matters, colics, 
depression, agitated sleep, frequent awaking. 
Chamomilla 12th, and if that be not sufli- 



30 DISEASES OF THE 

cient, pulsatilla 18th, are then the best re- 
medies. 

Bryonia alba 18th, is applicable to cases 
in which the emotion still remains, and in 
which the sensation of cold is joined to the 
preceding symptoms. If the anger have 
been accompanied by great fear, aconite 
24th, is the specific. 

When the nervous system is very irrita- 
ble, and the sensibility increased, good ef- 
fects are obtained from chamomilla, 12th, es- 
pecially when the patient complains of pres- 
sure in the region of the stomach, of painful 
swelling at the pit of the stomach, and of the 
left side, of asthma and of anxiety. It should 
also be observed that a little coffee usually 
mitigates this kind of pain ; while it is inju- 
rious in others which yield to the use of nux 
vomica, Chamomilla has no effect in per- 
sons who have used much chamomile tea ; 
it must then be replaced by ignatia, pulsa- 
tilla, and coffee. 

Arnica 6th, is administered if the de- 
rangement of the stomach arise from a gene- 
ral and continued excitement of the nervous 
system caused by distress of mind, watching, 
excess in pleasure, fatigue of the body, and 
if it be accompanied by the following symp- 
toms : vertigo, pain in the head, especially 
above the orbits, stupefaction, heat in the 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 31 

head, dryness of the tongue, sour or bitter 
taste in the mouth, desire for acids, tongue 
loaded with a yellowish matter, taste of what 
has been eaten, fulness at the pit of the sto- 
mach, nausea, flatulence, weight in all the 
members, disagreeable heat, agitated sleep, 
frequent awaking, starting during sleep, anx- 
ious and distressing dreams. We may also 
give nux vomica 30th, and chamomiila 12th, 
if there be no circumstance which contra- 
indicates their use. 

We observe in the spring, particularly in 
persons who dwell in humid piaces, near 
stagnant waters, marshes, etc., a particular 
derangement of the stomach, of which the 
following are the characters: loss of appetite, 
continual satiety, a heaviness and fulness of 
the abdomen, eructations, depression, weak- 
ness, vertigo, dull headache, sometimes 
heats, alternating with shiverings, turbid and 
cloudy urine, sensibility to external impres- 
sions, agitated sleep, ill" humor. This state 
is, in many cases, the forerunner of fever, 
which may be prevented by china 24th. 

When in these affections there is some in- 
flammatory tendency, bellad. is invaluable. 

Case 1. — In this case, the female was 
pregnant; and spasms occurred frequently, 
each time with increased intensity. There 
occurred violent spasmodic pain in the pit of 



32 DISEASES OF THE 

the stomach, and left hypochondrinm, with 
vomiting; general soreness of the abdomen, 
violent pressure downwards towards the pel- 
vis, with frequent desire to micturate ; face 
red, swollen and heated; eyes fixed, pupils 
dilated ; partial loss of consciousness ; occa- 
sional movements and moaning produced by 
the violence of the pain. A few doses of 
hellad. 5th, effectually removed the disease. 

Case 2. — A man had been suffering for 
forty-eight hours under hiccough and vomit- 
ing. The sensibility of the stomach was so 
great as to reject even a spoonful of water. 
Opium and lavements were inadequate to 
remove the symptoms or the constipation. 
The face was red and burning, and the body 
bathed in a cold perspiration. Belladonna 
lOtii, was immediately administered. At 
the end of three hours, the vomiting had 
ceased, but the hiccough still remained and 
continued even during sleep. In order to 
free himself from this distressing symptom, 
the patient had, during his attendant's ab- 
sence, drank a i'ew cups of strong chamomile 
tea. But as the chamomile counteracted the 
action of the belladonna, all these symptoms 
reappeared during the night, the hiccough in 
particular more violently than before. There 
was then administered a cup of coffee, as an 
antidote to the chamomile ; and a few hours 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 33 

after a homoeopathic dose of belladonna. 
By the evening all the symptoms had ceased, 
and they never recurred. 

Case 3. — A female had ben long suffer- 
ing from spasms in the stomach, with fre- 
quent nausea and vomiting, after eating or 
drinking, from which she was relieved only 
by partial or total abstinence. At the same 
time with the spasms in the stomach, she ex- 
perienced shooting pains in the chest and 
vicinity of the heart, and frequently so vio- 
lent a constriction of the chest as to impede 
respiration. During the attack, she experi- 
enced anxiety ; heat, headache, perspiration 
and pains in the back. This disease which 
had for months baffled the resources of allo- 
pathic treatment, yielded in a few days to 
two doses of belladonna, followed by a few 
doses of nux vomica. 

When burning pain accompanies these 
affections, arsenicum album is successfully 
employed. 

Case 1. — An unmarried female, aged 
forty-five, an invalid since puberty, suffered 
from various diseases, such as painful and 
irregular menstruation, leucorrhoea, hemor- 
rhoids, induration of the liver, spasms in the 
stomach, alternation of constipation and 

4 



34 DISEASES Of THE 

diarrhoea, arthritic shootings, especially in the 
head, etc. She had been continually taking 
medicines chiefly of a heating and drastic 
nature. Suddenly she was seized with ex- 
treme pains and fever. The pains were felt 
chiefly in the pit of the stomach, in the he- 
patic and hypogastric regions, and in the 
loins: the other parts of the bowels were 
soro, and there was constant vomiting, ex- 
treme thirst, inexpressible anxiety and agi- 
tation. After the vomiting and pain had 
ceased in the pit of the stomach and the 
region of the loins, they increased in the 
hypogastrinm and haunches, in which parts 
the pains were burning and severe. The 
hypogastrinm was unable to endure the 
slightest touch, and was swollen, hard, dis- 
tended and hot. Shootings existed in the 
rectum, heat in the tumefied hemorrhoidal 
swellings, motions liquid, with tenesmus, 
sharp burning pains, especially in the lower 
part of the pelvis, fever, dryness of the 
mouth, inclination to vomit, thirst, sleepless- 
ness, anxiely, agitation and palpitations of 
the heart. — Ars. 30ih, (3 doses) acted instan- 
taneously upon the affection, by producing 
a marked homoeopathic aggravation, but 
-without any sensible improvement. After 
a few days, there was a sudden cessation of 
pain, and a discharge of several glassful* of 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 35 

thick pus from the bowels : this discharge 
ceased gradually at the end of six or eight 
days, and the patient speedily recovered. 

Case 2. — An aged female, who had often 
suffered from spasms in the stomach, had not 
for several months passed a single day free 
from pains in the epigastrium and back. 
These pains gradually increased, and were 
succeeded by vomitings occurring several 
times in the day, so that the sufferer could 
take nothing without vomiting immediately, 
or at the end of a few hours, with increase 
of pain. She sometimes vomited even when 
the stomach was empty. At the same time, 
she lost substance visibly ; and finally weak- 
ness and incessant pain confined her to bed. 
The pain was constrictive and burning ; the 
pit of the stomach distended and painful to 
the touch, with constipation ; the tongue 
clean, throat dry, thirst, sleeplessness. A 
few doses of ars. 30th, administered at long 
intervals, obviated for a long time this chro- 
nic gastritis, which was doubtless accompa- 
nied by a tendency to the production of 
scirrhus. 

Case 3. — Inflammation of the stomach 
was cured by ars. 10th, gl. 1 ; twelve hours 
after which was administered coloc. 10th, 
gl. 1 ; and the same again sixteen hours 



36 DISEASES OF THE 

afterwards. The patient, who was sixty- 
years of age, complained of extreme burning 
pain in the pit of the stomach, so great that 
he could not even endure the contact of the 
clothes, and his stomach rejected immedi- 
ately everything that he took ; pulse small, 
and quick ; the patient extremely restless. 
The cure was rapid, without any other ap- 
plication. 

Chronic Indigestion. — In a case of contin- 
ual swelling of the epigastrium arising from 
wind, difficulty of breathing in the morn- 
ing, but more especially after meals, eructa- 
tion, sensation of sickness, occasional vomit- 
ing, continual pressure, periodical heat in 
the stomach, and constriction of the abdo- 
men, were almost instantly relieved by two 
or three doses of sulphur. 

Tinct. sulph. not diluted, gl. 1, repeated 
every eighth day, has cured many severe 
cases of heartburn in young persons. One 
case of this was so serious that the patient 
began to lose substance, as he could take 
nothing but a little broth. Two doses cured 
him : acids had been found useless. 

A female, between thirty and forty, had 
for twelve years been suffering from nausea 
and vomiting, immediately after breakfast- 
ing, and very often after dinner. Besides 
this, sVie complained of shooting and tight- 
ness of the chest, with a dry cough, darting 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 37 

pain in the forehead, stupifying vertigo, cold 
in the hands and feet, and pains in the abdo- 
men. Fifteen days' use of the tincture of 
sulph. and ipecacuanha stopped the sickness : 
ars. and con. removed the cough and all 
other symptoms. *» 

Affections of the stomach arising from 
lead require the employment of its proper 
antidote. 

Mr. N., a house-painter, aged thirty, of 
sanguine temperament, after mixing colors 
for some days for a great number of work- 
men, was seized with colic, to which he paid 
little attention. At the end of three days, 
however, he fell into such a state of disease, 
and suffering, that he exhibited the following 
symptoms : — dull, obtuse pain extending 
from the middle of the stomach to the epigas- 
trium, not increased by pressure, dry tongue, 
vomiting of mucus and bile, obstinate consti- 
pation, pulse contracted and quick, respira- 
tion difficult, face pale, with convulsive 
movements of the extremities. 

Opium being an antidote to lead, and one 
of the best homoeopathic remedies in cases of 
constipation, four globules 12th, were dis- 
solved in four spoonfuls of water, to be taken 
every hour, and the same at night. Next 
morning, the patient was generally more 
easy ; but the pain and vomiting remained 
the same, Alumine 30th, 5, were adminis- 

4* 



38 DISEASES OP THE 

tered in three spoonsful of water, to be taken 
every hour, when the vomiting ceased. On 
the third day, as the colic and constipation 
still remained, opium 4th, one drop in a 
spoonful of water, was prescribed. The re- 
lief wasVery marked, and the patient him- 
self observed that the medicine seemed to 
grapple with the disease. As the constipa- 
tion, however, still continued, three other 
tea-spoonfuls, with tincture of opium, were 
administered during the day, increasing each 
dose one drop, so that the last dose consisted 
of four drops. After a difficult evacuation, 
composed of a small quantity of hardened 
matter, the patient enjoyed a comfortable 
sleep, and awoke convalescent on the fol- 
lowing morning, being the fourth day. 



DYSPEPSIA AND HEPATIC AFFEC- 
TIOiNS. 

I think it necessary to remark, " and my 
long experience convinces me,' 1 that there 
are no cases in which the homoeopathic 
treatment is more singularly beneficial than 
in affections of the liver, stomach and bowels. 

Case 1. — A lady in delicate health, who 
had suffered from dyspepsia for several 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 39 

years, and latterly from disease of the liver, 
was laboring under the following symp- 
toms : frequent giddiness, dull pain with 
pressure in the forehead, face flushed, sleepi- 
ness even after breakfast, tongue yellow, 
thirst, acid eructations, weight in the sto- 
mach much increased after eating, acute pain 
in the region of the liver augmented upon 
pressure, dull pain in the loins, bowels con- 
stipated, no relief without purgatives, latterly 
of the most drastic kind, feet cold, pulse 
quick and hard, nervous system highly ex- 
citable. 

The acute pain in the liver with inflam- 
mation, and the condition of the pulse, indi- 
cated the use of aconit. 30th, which was re- 
peated three times a day for three or four 
days, when the pulse became subdued, and 
the liver much less painful. 

Bryan. 30th, was ordered every night for 
a week, and subsequently every alternate 
night for another fortnight. During the ac- 
tion of the bryony, the symptoms gradually 
diminished ; the bowels became regular, and 
at the end of several months no medicine 
was required, and digestion had so much 
improved, that she recovered her strength 
and former healthy appearance. 

Case 2. — A solicitor, whose avocation 
confined him much to his office, was annoy- 



40 DISEASES OF THE 

ed with stomach complaint to such an extent 
that he could scarcely eat the most digestible 
food without producing great uncomfort- 
ableness both mental and bodily. He com- 
plained of heaviness in the head, pain in the 
temples, sleepiness after dinner, appetite bad, 
bitter taste in the mouth, cough with oppres- 
sion of the chest, palpitation of the heart, 
distention of the stomach after eating, so as 
to require the clothes to be loosened, consti- 
pation sometimes alternating with diarrhoea, 
spirits depressed, at other times irritable. 

Thuya 10th, was given daily, and suc- 
ceeded by pulsatiUa 6th. Under this treat- 
ment, the improvement was gradual and 
permanent. 

Case 3. — A gentleman complained of 
headache, particularly in the occiput, stiff- 
ness in the nape of the neck, tongue dry and 
furred, appetite bad, flatulence, pain in the 
stomach much greater when fasting, bowels 
irregular. 

Although these symptoms had continued 
many months, they yielded under the influ- 
ence of baryt. carb. b'th, every second morn- 
ing, followed by a few doses of staphysagria 
10th. 

Case 4. — A lady had for many years suf- 
fered most severely from a stomach affection, 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 41 

which had latterly increased to such an extent 
that all food was immediately rejected, even 
fluids not being always retained ; the pain in 
the stomach most distressing, much increased 
upon pressure, distention of the stomach 
and bowels, eructations, and severe dull pain 
between the shoulders and in the right side, 
copious secretion of aqueous fluid from the 
mouth, violent fits of coughing both day and 
night, more particularly on lying down and 
after taking nourishment. During one of 
these attacks, she ejected a large quantity of 
black blood, twelve or fourteen ounces at 
least ; pulse quick, small, hard. 

Aconite 6th, dissolved in water, was given 
every ten or fifteen minutes, until the pulse 
became soft and less frequent, when bryony 
10th, followed by mix 10th, daily, removed 
the pain and vomiting. This patient had 
long suffered from disease of the liver, and 
had consulted several of the most eminent 
men of the present day with no relief. 

[The most valuable remedy in this affec- 
tion is nux vomica, which covers the follow- 
ing symptoms : constriction, pressure, weight 
and spasm in the pit of the stomach, with a 
sensation as if the dress was too tight in 
that spot, aggravation of these symptoms 
after eating, complicated with a feeling of 
oppression on the chest, which sometimes 
extends to between the shoulder-blades and 



42 DISEASES OP THE 

to the small of the back. A very character- 
istic symptom is the presence of the pains 
in the stomach on waking in the morning ; 
nausea, accumulation of saliva, bitter and 
sour eructations, palpitation of the heart, 
and anxiety ; sour putrid taste in the mouth ; 
constipation ; inflation of the abdomen, press- 
ing headache in the forehead. Puis, is an- 
other excellent remedy in dyspepsia when 
there is a want of appetite, bitter, sometimes 
sour eructations, nausea, vertigo and lan- 
guor.] 



OBSTRUCTION IN THE INTESTINAL 
CANAL. 

This is a morbid state in which the prin- 
cipal symptom is a superabundant secretion 
of mucus, in consequence of weakness of the 
digestive organs. This affection, the result 
of a sedentary life, of a moist and unhealthy 
atmosphere, of painful emotions, or some 
other malady, attacks especially infants, 
women and old men, and occurs chiefly in 
autumn. The secretion may have its prin- 
cipal seat in the stomach, or in the intestinal 
canal ; but this produces little difference in 
the symptoms, which are generally the fol- 
lowing: — want of appetite, thirst, sweetish 



ALIMENTARY CANAL* 43 

nauseous taste, abundant secretion of viscous 
saliva, a white, thick coating on the tongue, 
much mucus about the teeth, paleness of the 
face, depression, fulness at the pit of the sto- 
mach, swelling of the abdomen, sometimes 
vomiting of mucus ; when the evil reaches 
a great degree of intensity, it is frequently 
accompanied by diarrhoea or colic. 

Nux vomica 30th, is the most efficacious 
remedy against this affection, especially 
when it lias for its predominant symptoms 
cramps in the stomach, much water of an 
acid taste in the mouth, vomiting of mucus 
of an acid odor, slowness of the movements 
of the intestinal canal. 

We employ, nearly with the same success, 
vcratrum album 12th, chiefly when the mat- 
ters vomited contain bile as well as mucus, 
or when these have a greenish-yellow color 
and a bitter taste. 

Tartar emetic is indicated when vomiting 
is joined to a disposition to mucous evacua- 
tions. 

Rheum 9th, is used when there is softness 
and fulness of the abdomen, frequent alvine 
evacuations of brown matter, mixed with 
mucus, and tensive sensation at the pit and 
in the region of the stomach. 

Pulsatilla, 12th, is employed in irritable 
and delicate persons, if accompanied by 



44 DISEASES OF THE 

shivering, frequent vomiting of mucus, and 
mucous evacuations. 

Antimonium crudum 9th, is used when 
we observe great weakness and extraordi- 
nary slowness of digestion. 

Ferrum and china are also employed with 
success, especially when the disease arises 
from the abuse of laxatives. 

Ipecacuanha 3d, is especially efficacious 
in almost all cases of obstruction, and may 
be administered in repeated doses. 

Many patients suffering under affections 
of the abdomen, experience pains in the sto- 
mach and liver, jaundice, abdominal obstruc- 
tions, hemorrhoidal tumors, etc. These 
affections are of frequent occurrence, especi- 
ally in persons from forty to fifty years of 
age, and of sedentary habits. In such cases, 
nux administered daily or every two days, 
is always found more useful than any other 
means ; though, at times, the symptoms have 
required other remedies, such as calcar., 
bryony sulph., lycopod., sepia, graphit., silic, 
carb. veget., phosph. 

Case 1. — One of the patients, who was 
always obliged to remain in a sitting posi- 
tion, was reduced by the affection almost to 
despair. The chief symptoms were obstruc- 
tion of the liver, jaundice, hemorrhoids, 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 45 

constipation, flatus, puffing of the abdomen, 
severe pains on the right side of the chest, 
continuing for several hours and extending 
to the middle of the thorax and to the hips, 
impeding and frequently preventing respira- 
tion, ceasing for some time and again com- 
mencing more powerfully than before, both 
by night and day. During the spasmodic 
attacks, the pulse was beating one hundred 
and twenty times in a minute, the face be- 
came red and the head confused, terminating 
in oppressive headache. This condition had 
existed for four days, without any remedy 
affording relief. Aeon,, mix, coloc, ars., 
carbo an. and veget.< and phosph., performed 
a perfect cure in less than six weeks. 

Case 2. — A young man, who had been 
hypochondriacal for some years, and had 
become weak and emaciated, complained of 
haemorrhoidal affections, frequent colic, con- 
stipation, wind, spasms of the abdomen and 
chest, with loss of sleep. He had become 
restless, timid, morose, and often very irrita- 
ble. A few doses of nux, phosphorus and 
nux again, combined with anacardium, re- 
moved the principal symptoms; the evacua- 
tions became regular, the appetite and diges- 
tion improved, the spasms ceased, the sys- 
tem gained strength, physically as well as 
morally. 

5 



46 DISEASES OF THE 

Case 3. — A female had been suffering 
for five years under almost daily darting 
pains on the right lower region of the abdo- 
men, which extended as far as the loins and 
bnck; there were hemorrhoids, frequent 
tenesmus, constipaiion, flatulence, swelling 
of the bowels, legs and feet, accompanied 
with pain, coldness of the hands and feet, 
character susceptible, morose and depressed. 
Three months exhibited a cure by the use 
of sulphur, nux, coloc, phosph., nux and 
phosph. again. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 47 



CONSTIPATION. 



This is a very common disease. Its se- 
verity varies with the causes which produce 
it. Sometimes it is an accessory of other 
affections, or the consequence, as already 
observed, of some organic change in the in- 
testines. 

The most common constipations, which 
continue during several days without being 
accompanied with any other accident, have 
generally for their cause the too scanty se- 
cretion of the liquids necessary in digestion, 
or a particular weakness of the intestines. 
They attack chiefly women and old men, and 
are occasioned by a sedentary life, a dry 
kind of nourishment, advanced pregnancy, 
the abuse of remedies, or a predisposition 
resulting from previous constipations. 

Constipation is always accompanied more 
or less with other affections of the abdomen ; 
the difficulty, however, of discovering them 
renders it necessary for the practitioner to 
undertake a careful examination of the pa- 
tient. Frequently wc find the patient suffer- 
ing also from a sensation of fulness or op- 



48 DISEASES OF THE 

pression at the stomach and epigastric region 
after eating, and that for several hours ; fre- 
quently also there exists a ravenous appetite 
followed by nausea, temporary heat in the 
face and a pressive pain in the head. In 
these cases high dilutions are preferable to 
low, because they speedily remove the dis- 
ease without producing accessory symptoms. 

The treatment is regulated according to 
the causes of the affection. 

Opium 6th, is very salutary in case of a 
simple constipation, which does not originate 
from an internal disposition or a malady of 
long duration, but from external circumstan- 
ces, particularly from those whkh have a de- 
bilitating influence upon the nervous system, 
and when that constipation, without being 
truly painful, presents the following symp- 
toms : desire to relieve the bowels, with sen- 
sation as if the intestines were obstructed, 
and there existed impossibility of evacuation, 
beating in the abdomen, pressure at the sto- 
mach, want of appetite, thirst, dryness of the 
mouth. 

Case. — For a patient, having a sallow com- 
plexion, loss of appetite, tendency to vomit, 
flatulence, pressure at the stomach, constipa- 
tion, dry cough, was prescribed tincture of 
mix vomica, one drop night and morning, 
advising him to increase the dose one drop 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 49 

every day. An improvement was speedily 
manifest without any crisis. At the end of 
fifteen days, he had quite recovered ; the 
cough left him in a short time. 

Constipation constitutes very frequently a 
separate disease often produced by abuse of 
coffee. 

Out of many cases, one was very remark- 
able. During six days, no motion, giddiness, 
stupor, intoxicating heaviness in the head, 
especially in the morning, great heat and 
redness of the face, dryness of the mouth, 
acid and bitter taste, heartburn, nausea, 
especially in the morning, loss of appetite, 
flatulence, pressure at the stomach, swelling 
of the stomach after eating, shooting pain in 
the abdomen, tenesmus, pain in the rectum 
and loins, oppressive constrictive pain in the 
chest, sleep disturbed at night, great lassitude 
and drowsiness in the morning, restlessness, 
great general depression. A few doses of 
pure tincture of nux vomica removed these 
symptoms entirely. 

The following cases occurred lately in my 
own practice. 

Case 1. — An elderly man had, for up- 
wards of twenty years, suffered from consti- 
pation, accompanied by severe headaches, to 
such an extent that he was compelled every 
few days to absent himself from business, 

5* 



50 DISEASES OF THE 

having fulness in the stomach after eatings 
tongue dry and loaded, etc. He could exist 
only by taking, every second day, a dose of 
some aperient medicine, which relieved his 
head for the day only ; the pain returning as 
regularly as possible the following day. The 
stomach had become so weakened by repeat- 
ed purgatives, that it was unable to digest 
even the best food ; and they had produced a 
distressing disease of the lower intestines. 
He complained likewise of dull pain in the 
region of the liver, which was much increas- 
ed upon pressure. Sulphur, in five weeks, 
enabled the bowels to act daily, and the 
headache entirely subsided. 

Case 2. — An old naval officer was placed* 
in early life, on the West India stations, 
where he had yellow fever several times and 
with difficulty escaped with life, leaving on 
one occasion only eight or tenon board his 
vessel. These attacks produced disease of 
the liver, and consequently confirmed consti- 
pation, which had existed upwards of thirty 
years when I saw him. He informed me 
that, during that time, he had never obtained 
relief from the bowels without aperient medi- 
cines : taking them regularly every second 
day, they had become as necessary to his 
existence as food. Accompanying this state 
of stomach and bowels, were most distressing 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 51 

headaches, and great depression of the ner- 
vous system. Though introduced to me, he 
did not expect anything like permanent re- 
lief. Nevertheless, after continuing for two 
months the medicines I prescribed, the bow- 
els became regular and acted daily ; and, 
upon seeing him many months afterwards, 
he told me that, during that time, he had not 
taken or required one dose of aperient medi- 
cine. The remedies were nux. 30 th, bryon. 
30th. and verat. 12th, every second or third 
day in succession. 

Case 3. — A gentleman had long suffered 
from an eruptive disease covering great part 
of the body. At the same time he com- 
plained of dyspeptic symptoms, such as acid 
and bitter eructations, fulness of the stomach 
and bowels after eating, with pain in the 
region of the liver and consequent constipa- 
tion. I prescribed verat. for the skin dis- 
ease, to which it yielded. At the same time, 
the stomachic symptoms subsided, and the 
constipation gave way ; so that, at the end of 
two months, although he had not taken pur- 
gative medicines of any kind, as previously 
in the habit of doing, at least weekly, he as- 
sured me his health was in a much better 
state than for many years before. 

Case 4. — A medical man, who had lived 



52 DISEASES OP THE 

in the country where he was accustomed to 
horse exercise and active life, upon his set- 
tling in town, where he had now resided 
nearly twenty years, soon became affected 
with derangement of the digestive organs — 
such as nausea, giddiness, weight and pain 
in the head, loss of appetite, distention of the 
stomach after eating, with acid flatulence, 
loaded tongue, pain in the liver, general 
falling away, and palpitation of the heart to 
such an extent that in bed the clothes were 
often lifted up. This continued for several 
years, when the bowels became obstinately 
constipated, requiring purgatives, tonics, 
alkalines and alteratives continually. He 
informed me that a week never passed with- 
out medicine — seldom a day without either 
soda or a purgative. All these means were 
discontinued; and, by the use of calcarea 
carbonica, and subsequently carbo vegetabilis, 
the dyspeptic symptoms subsided, and the 
constipation was removed. Upwards of three 
years have elapsed with no return of the 
complaint. 

Case 5. — Colonel P. had resided many 
years in a warm climate, and during the 
greater part of that time, had labored under 
irregularity and derangement of the bowels, 
which terminated in confirmed constipation. 
Having lived freely, he had two or three 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 53 

attacks of inflammation of the liver, which 
produced induration and evident enlarge- 
ment. He had frequent fits of vomiting, 
with acid and bitter eructations, weight and 
fulness of the stomach and bowels, particu- 
larly after eating, restless nights, headache, 
tongue loaded, dryness and thirst, kidneys 
much affected, and was altogether much 
emaciated. Bryonia, verairum and opium 
were given in succession, when all the symp- 
toms gradually yielded ; and in from three to 
four months, the patient was convales- 
cent. 

Constipation in Women. — In this case, ex- 
ercise, especially in the open air, abstinence 
from coffee and heating drinks, and the use 
of fruit, are necessary, and assist the action of 
nux 8th, which is in most cases the requisite 
treatment. If this only improves the condi- 
tion without curing it entirely, we may ad- 
minister ignat. 6 th, gl. 2, after which nux 
IGth, again. In some cases, bryony 6th, gl. 
2, opium 2d, gl. 2, and verairum will answer. 
When the constipation is obstinate, it will be 
advisable to assist these remedies with lave- 
ments. If all these fail, we must then have 
recourse to plumb., alum., platin., sepia, and 
especially the two last. 

Bryony is still more important in cases of 
lying-in women, when constipation arises 



54 DISEASES OF THE 

very frequently from inflammatory irritation 
of the abdominal organs, to which this reme- 
dy is strikingly adapted. 

We may in the same manner treat the 
constipation which usually occurs in the first 
days after delivery, if it do not speedily dis- 
appear of itself. 

Case. — A lady, the wife of a professional 
man, had suffered from constipation for up- 
wards of twenty years, and during the last 
four or five years, had been obliged to take 
aperient medicine daily. In such a way, 
indeed, had purgatives been administered, 
both as to quantity and quality, that they had 
produced ulceration of the lower intestines, 
discharging blood, pus and mucus, in quan- 
tities that became alarming. She had long 
suffered from torpid, if not diseased, state of 
the liver, and great weakness both mental 
and bodily, etc. She was much reduced and 
fast hastening to the grave, when I was con- 
sulted. Six doses of nux and bryonia entirely 
removed the constipated state of bowels, and 
the general health rapidly improved. Occa- 
sional doses of nitric acid restored the ulcera- 
ted bowels to health, and the discharge gradu- 
ally ceased. Nearly five years have since 
passed with no return of the disease ; and 
though not a single purgative has been since 
taken, the general health is better than at any 
previous period of life. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 55 

Constipation in Children. — The first point 
necessary is to regulate the regimen of the 
child and the nurse. Care must also be 
taken that the child be not too much confined 
by its clothes. 

The constipation of new-born children has 
usually for its cause food which does not 
agree with their age, especially when they 
are not suckled, or when, besides the milk 
of their nurse, they receive more solid food. 

It niay.be prevented by adding to that 
milk, in cases when it is not sufficient, only 
very light substances, such as cow's milk 
mixed with water, pigeon or chicken soup^ 
water gruel slightly boiled, etc. 

If the patient be in good health, a lave- 
ment of warm milk, water gruel, with or 
without castor oil, is frequently sufficient: 
should it fail, another lavement of honey 
water will be certain to produce the effect. 
If the mother is not accustomed to coffee,, 
two or three spoonsful may be administered 
to the child. 

When these dietetic precautions are not 
sufficient, we musi have recourse to internal 
remedies. For this purpose, nux 10th is 
appropriate, especially when the mother has 
been accustomed to coffee, in which case it is 
a specific. Hut it is also efficacious in other 
cases, for instauce, when constipation is pro- 



56 DISEASES OF THE 

duced by undigested food, or when the alvine 
excretions are so hard that the child cannot 
void them without great straining, pain and 
blood. 

Next to this stands opium 2d ? which is 
indicated when the peristaltic movement of 
the intestinal canal is, so to speak, destroyed ? 
when there exists no inclination to obtain 
relief, and the abdomen gradually swells,, 
Advantage has sometimes been derived from 
a higher dilution than that just mentioned. 

Next to these two remedies, bryon, 10th, 
1 and 2, veratr. 10th, 1, are most effective. 
The first operates in a manner very similar 
to nux vomica, and frequently succeeds when 
the other has failed, and vice versa. With 
respect to veratrum, it is most efficient in 
cases where the rectum appears deprived of 
all action. 

When the disease is very obstinate, tinc- 
ture of sulphur, or lycopodium 3 Oth, are very 
successful. Calc. carb., and zinc are equally 
valuable : the latter is one of the best reme- 
dies in constipation in children, 

Sulph. in the morning, and nux vom. at 
bed-time, are sovereign remedies against con- 
stipation. In very obstinate constipation, 
alumina and plumbum will be found very 
efficacious, the former given in the morning, 
the latter in the evening, especially when in- 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 57 

effectual efforts to evacuate are present ; or if 
the faeces are hard, dry, broken, and evacua- 
ted with a great deal of straining.] 



COLIC. 

Colic is a pain, generally pinching, tearing, 
tensive, without any symptom of inflamma- 
tion, without fixity or continuity, rarely 
burning, which affects the interior of the ab- 
domen, especially the region of the umbili- 
cus, tends almost always from above down- 
wards, and has often for an accessory a 
swelling of the abdomen. The stomach be- 
ing exempt from suffering, or that being only 
accidental, if that viscus contains no impuri- 
ties, the patient scarcely ever vomits ; and if 
that does occur, he ejects only the matters 
contained in the stomach, mixed with a little 
bile. There is sometimes accidental consti- 
pation, more frequently a little diarrhoea, 
rarely any fever. 

In children, after evacuation of urine, 
more considerable than ordinary, we often 
remark much agitation and impatience, con- 
tinual crying, sudden screams, contortions 
which disfigure the countenance during sleep, 
sleeplessness and cramps. They draw up 

6 



58 ©ISEASES OF THE 

the limbs, bend them, and are incapable of 
lactation. 

The treatment of colic is regulated princi- 
pally by the causes which have produced it. 
In children, it is usually caused by cold, or 
by worms : in adults, by severe cold, by ex- 
cess in eating and drinking, but often also by 
a particular disposition to flatulence and to 
hemorrhoids. 

Chamomilla 12th, or pulsatilla 15th, cures 
colic produced by a cold, when it presents 
the following symptoms: violent, cutting, 
tearing pains in the bowels, causing agita- 
tion which allows the patient no rest, a sen- 
sation as if the abdomen were entirely empty, 
with continual commotion in the intestines, 
dark circles around the eyes, frequent collec- 
tion of saliva in the mouth, violent and tear- 
ing pain below the navel, pains in the loins, 
nausea, inclination to vomit, diarrhoea, eva- 
cuations green, watery, and mixed with 
mucus. 

Nux vomica 24th, for adults, 30th, for 
children, causes the prompt disappearance of 
a colic characterized as follows: constipa- 
tion, sensation of a heavy weight in the ab- 
domen, extraordinary heat, considerable ten- 
sion of the part, with anxious, short, and 
painful respiration, fulness of the abdomen 
and under the ribs, shooting, pinching, com- 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 59 

pressing pains, as if the intestines were press- 
ed, violent and confusing pain in the head, 
the ahdomen painful to the touch, loss of 
consciousness, the extremities cold at the 
moment when the affection is most violent. 

Windy colics, which have their seat in the 
lower part of the abdomen, yield to the same 
remedy in cases in which the air, seeking a 
passage, produces pressure, as if by a sharp 
or cutting instrument, towards the bladder 
and rectum, a pressure which is acutely fell 
at every step, but which repose, the sitting 
or the lying position, cause quickly to disap- 
pear. 

Mercury 10th, for adults, 12th, for chil- 
dren, and cina, are successfully employed 
against colics caused by worms, the symp- 
toms of which are great inclination to vomit, 
collection of saliva in the mouth, twisting in 
the bowels, with sensation of hardness 
around the umbilicus, convulsive twitchings 
in the muscles of the abdomen, frequent hic- 
cough, disgust for food, continual desire to 
relieve the bowels, the abdomen hard and 
swollen, tensive and burning pain, eructa- 
tions, general weakness, diarrhoea, evacua- 
tion of mucus, with pains in the bowels, es- 
pecially towards midnight. 

The symptoms of colic produced by excess 
of nourishment or by unhealthy food, are : 
nausea, weight, with a feeling of extension 



60 DISEASES OF THE 

and of painful tension in the abdomen, tear- 
ing, pinching, and cutting pain, increased by 
touch, white saliva foaming from the mouth ? 
pains above the navel, diarrhoea, evacuations 
green, or of a citron color, with violent pain 
in the stomach, countenance pale, dark cir- 
cles round the eyes, slight convulsions of the 
limbs, bending of the body, pressive and ten- 
sive headache. Half a cup of strong coffee 
would have the effect, in persons who do not 
make habitual use of that beverage, of eva- 
cuating the superabundant or unhealthy ali- 
ments contained in the stomach and intes- 
tines. When this means has produced the 
desired result, it should, after some hours, be 
followed hy pulsatilla 18th. 

Pulsatilla 12th, is the best remedy against 
hemorrhoidal colics, of which the usual symp- 
toms are the following : — beating at the pit 
of the stomach, a painful feeling of constric- 
tion as if it were too full, borborygmi in the 
abdomen, the escape of flatulence prevented 
heat and swelling of the abdomen, general 
heat with swelling of the veins of the hands 
and forehead, insupportableness by the pa- 
tient of all vestments, greater suffering when 
in bed, movement procuring some relief, 
pains in the loins, an almost entire incapa- 
bility of dressing, pain in the abdomen as if 
a blow had been received, agitation, anxiety,, 
sleeplessness. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 61 

Colocynth 30th, is very efficacious against 
various kinds of colics, especially when they 
cannot be ascribed to a known cause. But 
it is more particularly indicated by pains in 
the abdomen, violent and continual, or ceas- 
ing only to re-appear with greater intensity, 
and leaving in the parts that have been af- 
fected a pain of tearing which produces at 
every step a sensation as if the intestines 
were freely suspended, which obliges the pa- 
tient to walk very slowly and with extreme 
caution, the pain experienced in the umbili- 
cal region sensible chiefly at a small point of 
small extent, recurring only at intervals of 
from five to ten minutes or even longer, com- 
mencing always by slight shootings from the 
ribs to the centre, which gradually aug- 
ment, becoming constrictive, pressing, tear- 
ing, dragging, and reach such a degree of 
violence that the patient utters loud cries, 
the anxiety and pain allowing him no rest, 
and compelling him to writhe with the 
agony. 

Colics, with which some women are at- 
tacked at the commencement of the catame- 
nia, usually disappear when it has occurred ; 
but the affection may, in certain circum- 
stances, continue and become very distress- 
ing. Nux vom. 30th, is then often employed 
with success, especially when the disease is 
characterized by a twisting in the abdomen, 

6* 



62 DISEASES OP THE 

with some nausea, a poignant spasmodic 
pain in the pelvis chiefly about the ischium, 
which becomes remittent, pressive, or shoot- 
ing, with constriction in the region of the 
bladder. 

Coffee 3d, causes the disappearance of the 
following symptoms : pains in the abdomen, 
violent and spasmodic, which affect even the 
chest, bending of the body with convulsions 
of the limbs, grinding of the teeth, general 
cold, crampoid stiffening, loss of respiration, 
sighing, fulness of the abdomen, with pressure. 

Pulsatilla 18th, may be employed in the 
same circumstances when they are accompa- 
nied by violent and pressive pain of the ab- 
domen and loins, and by an evident shooting 
from the trunk to the thighs, which ceases 
when seated, and to which are joined a pain- 
ful pressure on the rectum, and pains in the 
back. 

Frequent colics may produce a disposition 
to be attacked by them from the slightest 
causes, and may even become the origin of 
organic changes. 



HEMORRHOIDS. 

This disease, which is very common, has 
for its cause an impediment to the circulation 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 63 

in the vessels of the abdomen, and has al- 
most always for its precursor a long series of 
affections of the digestive organs. . It attacks 
chiefly men of middle age, and women after 
the suppression of the catamenia, and it is 
characterized by obstinate constipation, by 
congestions in the head and chest, vertigo, 
palpitation of the heart, pains in the back, 
tenesmus, itching in the perinseum and in the 
rectum, excrescences about the anus, colics, 
etc. It re-appears at fixed or indefinite pe- 
riods, and has commonly for its result a more 
or less considerable excretion of mucus or 
blood. 

During pregnancy, we generally find some 
disorder in the alvine secretions, and hemor- 
rhoidal effusions. Two or three weeks after 
delivery, every motion is accompanied by 
lancinating pain in the rectum. In a short 
time, the evacuations occur every three or 
five days, the excretions being dry and hard. 
After long and inefficient efforts, no relief is 
obtained, or at most but of a small quantity 
of matter ; the pain in the rectum reaches the 
greatest degree of suffering, with anxious 
perspiration of the face, and tendency to syn- 
cope ; with the evacuation a discharge either 
of pure blood, or sanguinolent mucus; after 
which the heat and shooting pains in the rec- 
tum remain for some time. The anus itself 
forms a round, hard, livid tumor. There are 



64 BISEASES OP THE 

continual pains in the loins, extending to- 
wards the back, especially during move- 
ment. 

Hemorrhoids may be divided into two 
large classes, internal and external, and each 
of these classes may be subdivided into fluent 
and dry. 

The patient ought above all things to ob- 
serve a severe regimen, to take much exer- 
cise in the open air, to keep the feet warm f 
and to avoid coffee, wine, spirits, and mental 
excitement. 

In the first place, however, it will be well 
to point out the principal remedies most 
likely to be successful in the disease of which 
we treat. Most of the antipsoric remedies 
may be beneficially used, amongst which we 
recognize arsenicum, avtimonium crudum, 
calcarea, graphites, mercurius, phosphorus? 
sulphur. 

These may be alternated with aconite, ar- 
nica, nux, pulsatilla, etc., used as intercurrent 
medicines. 

Arsenic— In cases of large, burning, ulcer- 
ated external hemorrhoids. 

Antimony. — In fluent hemorrhoids, with 
excretion of black blood, and burning and 
pricking sensation. 

Calcarea. — Expulsion of hemorrhoids dur- 
ing evacuation, spasmodic contractions of the 
rectum. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 65 

Graphites. — Painful hemorrhoids secreting 
a mucous liquid. 

Mercurius. — Inflammation accompanied 
with tearing pain around the margin of the 
anus, evacuations acrid and bloody, excoriat- 
ing the extremity of the rectum. 

Phosphorus. — Itching hemorrhoidal tu- 
mors, with small ulcers allowing the dis- 
charge of a great quantity of blood. Flow 
of mucus from the anus, which remains open* 

Sulphur. — Hemorrhoidal colics followed 
by discharge of blood, expulsion of haemor- 
rhoids, descent of the rectum. 

Aconitum. — Extensive hemorrhage from 
hemorrhoidal tumors ; hemorrhoidal fever, 
violent inflammation of the tubercles, which 
are hard, bright and ready to burst. 

Arnica. — Hemorrhoidal tumors caused by 
external violence. 

Nux. — Constipation, pressure on the rec- 
tum, tenesmus before and after evacuations, 
discharge of blood-stained mucus ; dry hae- 
morrhoids, painful during evacuation. 

Pulsatilla. — Excretion of yellowish mu- 
cus, hemorrhoidal tumors, with smarting 
and soreness. 

I would here direct attention to the fact 
that, with the exception of arnica, apsoric 
medicines cannot alone cure hemorrhoids 
produced by external violence, such as long 
riding, or wearing bandages which exercise 
constant pressure on the part. In all other 



66 DISEASES OF THE 

cases, we should have recourse to antipsorics, 
alternately with apsorics, according to the 
indication. 

When, besides a disagreeable itching, he- 
morrhoidal excrescences occasion a continual 
and violent burning, accompanied by diar- 
rhoeal evacuations, we employ with success 
capsicum annuum 15th: arsenic, alb. 30th, 
possesses the property of dispelling this 
burning in the rectum and the neighboring 
parts. 

Case 1. — A female, aged twenty-two, 
mother of six children, of a venous-arterial 
constitution, had been for two years suffering 
from blind hemorrhoids, arising principally 
from a sedentary life, and the habitual use of 
very strong coffee. She one day found three 
tumors at the anus, as large as nuts, which 
produced great throbbing and burning pain, 
and prevented her sitting down. The pain 
extended half way up the rectum, accompa- 
nied with febrile symptoms, heaviness of the 
head, vertigo, loss of appetite and constipa- 
tion. An allopathist prescribed twenty 
leeches, hip-baths and emollient lavements. 
This treatment was continued for eighteen 
days, during which the patient had ninety 
leeches and thirty-six hip-baths. Instead of 
the disease, however, being in any way alle- 
viated, the symptoms increased to an extra- 
ordinary degree, the patient suffering exces- 



ALIMENTARY CANAL, 67 

sive pain, which no narcotic could relieve. 
The medical attendants declared that no re- 
source was left but to extirpate the tumors, 
which they asserted was necessary on ac- 
count of the formation of cancerous ulcers. 
This was the advice of many eminent prac- 
titioners who were called in consultation. 
The friends, being alarmed, determined to try 
the homoeopathic treatment. The following 
was her condition :— 

Local Affection. — The patient tossing about 
in bed, and complaining of burning, shoot- 
ing and throbbing pains in the anus and its 
vicinity, which she described as similar to 
those that might be produced by a red-hot 
iron. Outside the anus and extending in- 
wards were three tumors as large as nuts, in- 
flamed, and having on their internal surfaces 
some excrescences of a very painful nature 
that bled at the slightest touch. The whole 
internal surface of the anus was ulcerated, 
and secreted an ichorous liquid. 

Sympathetic Affections. — Weight and pres- 
sure at the occiput*; loss of appetite, tongue 
dry, chapped and hot ; violent thirst, consti- 
pation ; ardor urinse, loss of sleep, skin dry 
and hot, and dread of death. 

Ars. 10th, 3, was prescribed, suspending 
all other remedies. 

This selection was determined by the 
shooting and burning pains, the ichorous dis- 
charge, and the moral symptoms. 



85 DISEASES OF S*H$ 

After the powder had been taken half afi 
hour, the patient slept undisturbed for three 
hours, when she no longer suffered the vio- 
lent pains. 

A second dose of arsenic 10th, % was pre- 
scribed. The following day the patient ex- 
perienced only a slight sensibility at the anus 
when seated. She had a copious evacua- 
tion. The tumors had diminished during 
the night in size, redness and sensibility ; the 
ichorous discharge from the anus hadceased^ 
as well as the ardor urinse. 

The patient was now left three days with- 
out medicine, at the end of which time was 
administered, in consequence of the consti- 
pation and loss of appetite, nux 10, 3. 
From this time, there was a general improve- 
ment, and the patient was enabled to leave 
her bed. Sepia, nux vomica and sulphur had 
thus in a very short period entirely removed 
an aifection that had been regarded as incu- 
rable. 

In suppression of hemorrhoidal flux, for 
several months ; continual vertigo, occasion- 
ally so severe as to prostrate the patient to a 
state of insensibility, dull pain in the head, 
as if intoxicated ; violent, pressive and stu- 
pifying headache ; loss of memory ; alvine 
evacuations, infrequent and hard. A few 
doses of calc. carb. 5th, effected a cure. 

Sulphur 30th, effects the most perfect and 
the most durable cure when the disease pre- 



ALIMES? AUt CANAL. 89 

setttsthe following symptoms: continual de- 
sire to obtain evacuations even after diar« 
rhoeal or sanguinolent dejections, a darting 
pain of excoriation in the rectum and neigh* 
boring parts, with itching, burning, and hu* 
midity of the excrescences, which cause a 
constricting fulness in the rectum, and often 
even the descent of that viscus, violent and 
darting pains in the loins, and tension as 
if the skin and the muscles were short- 
ened. 

In hemorrhoids^ especially termed blind, 
with constipation and shooting pains in the 
rectum, accompanied by various affections of 
a hemorrhoidal nature, or consequent on the 
suppression of sanguine congestions, or ha* 
bitual hemorrhages, congestion towards the 
head, continual pressive pain at the occiput, 
vertigo, flow of blood to the heart, great ex* 
citability of the whole vascular system, pul- 
sation throughout the body, with anxiety, 
oppression, disordered digestion and consti* 
pation, sulphur is successful. 

Case. — A man, aged thirty-two, of strong 
constitution, and arterio-venous tempera- 
ment, was attacked, after riding fot a very 
considerable distance, and indulging much 
in heating liquors, by blind hemorrhoids*, 
which at first only produced constipation^ 
itching and throbbing at the anus. His me* 

7 



70 DISEASES OP THE 

dical attendant prescribed cold hip-baths, 
cold lavements and leeches. These danger- 
ous applications diminished the heat, itching, 
and throbbing, but had no effect on the he- 
morrhoidal tumors or the constipation. The 
bite of a leech produced an abscess, followed 
by anal fistula, which was operated upon by 
an eminent surgeon. But the wound would 
not heal ; the hemorrhoids protruded at every 
evacuation ; and the patient's state was 
worse than before ; he was in the following 
state : — 

Local Affection. — The patient complained 
of heat, fulness, and throbbing at the part. 
The hemorrhoidal tumors protruded at 
every evacuation, discharging and causing 
heat. The incision made by the operator 
six weeks before was not yet closed. Tu- 
mors as large as nuls were apparent exter- 
nally when the patient sought evacuation, 
their internal surface was livid, and covered 
with excrescences. 

Sympathetic Affections. — Weight and ful- 
ness of the head, face red, covered with tu- 
mors, appetite good but soon satiated, fre- 
quent eructations, pressure and tension of 
the two hypochondria, impeding inspiration, 
scanty evacuations with copious expulsion 
of flatus, sleep restless, disturbed by dreams, 
depression, anger, discontent, peevishness, 
indifference towards his wife and children, 



ALIMENTARr CANAL. 71 

of whom, however, in health, he was remark- 
ably fond, gloomy thoughts, propensity to 
commit suicide. 

Here there was clearly a well-developed 
case of hypochondria resulting from hyper- 
venosity of the abdomen. For this reason, 
in order to act effectually on the venous sys- 
tem, and render the organization accessible 
to treatment, sulph. 4th, gtt. 1, in a drachm 
of water, was administered. Never is it 
more necessary to begin by rousing the sus- 
ceptibility of the organization than in cases 
of exaltation of abdominal venosity, or what 
is called hypochondria. Every morning for 
eight days, the patient took one drop in a 
glass of water, without any evident effect, 
except that during the first four days, the 
wound occasioned by the operation was per- 
fectly healed. After eight days the moral 
state, the abundance of flatus, and the ten- 
sion of the hypochondria, induced the pre- 
scription of conium 10th, 3. Three hours 
afterwards, a considerable aggravation oc- 
curred. The moral symptoms especially 
were carried to such an extent, that a cup of 
coffee was administered. This antidote had 
very little effect, for the symptoms remained 
equally severe during two days. On the 
third day, however, there was an improve- 
ment ; the tensive pressure of the hypochon- 
dria, and especially the moral condition, were 



12 DISEASES OF THE 

sensibly ameliorated. It became clear that 
the moral affection was closely connected in 
this patient with that of the abdomen ; for 
in proportion as the pains in the hypochon- 
dria re-appeared, the disposition of the mind 
changed also. He was left for eight days 
under the operation ofconium, administering 
only a little milk and water each day, in 
order to satisfy his desire of taking some- 
thing. 

The conclusion of this period was follow- 
ed by constipation and loss of appetite, 
which led to the prescription of nux 10th, 
3, but the nux vomica had no effect, although 
it was the first dilution. Recourse was then 
had to lachesis 10th, 2, which was more suc- 
cessful ; although it did not agree perfectly 
with the moral state, it accorded well with 
the primitive affection, its action being re- 
markably powerful upon the function of the 
venous system, or rather of the nervous sys- 
tem that influences it. Three doses were 
then administered, one every third day; an 
exhibition peculiar to lachesis, which re- 
quires to be repeated till the development 
of a manifest action, which we must be es- 
pecially careful not to disturb, even when it 
appears after the first dose. There is not in 
fact any medicine likely to do so much mis- 
chief as lachesis ; it is one of the best poly- 
chrests we possess, but at the same time, 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 75 

Six hours after dinner, rejection of food 
taken, either wholly or partially, with sensa- 
tion of weight in the occiput, numbness of 
the right arm, especially of the third and 
fourth lingers, (these symptoms disappeared 
when everything was thrown off the sto- 
mach,) indigestion, acid eructations, flatu- 
lence, constipation, continual desire to mic- 
turate, urine voided by drops, with sensation 
of heat at the prostate gland, occasionally 
bloody, palpitations of the heart or coeliac 
arteries after repose ; sensation of oppression 
at the chest, compelling the patient to take 
long inspirations, numbness in the shoulders, 
arms, and legs, starting and nightmare at the 
commencement of sleep ; lassitude and weak- 
ness, feeling of languor in the stomach, con- 
stant drowsiness, great want of prolonged 
sleep, yawning, sensation of cold, restless- 
ness, nervous depression. 

Nux vomica 30th, was prescribed, and a 
second dose three days afterwards, from 
which he received great benefit ; afterwards, 
sulphur, graphites, silicea 30th, re-establish- 
ed his health, at the end of two months, and 
also removed the excessive obesity, resulting 
undoubtedly from a morbific cause. 

Case 2. — A female, aged twenty-eight, 
of arterio-lymphatic temperament, in whom, 
from the age of seventeen, menstruation had 



76 DISEASES OF THE 

always been attended by violent abdominal 
spasms, and almost incessant vomiting of 
bile and mucus during the first days. These 
symptoms she attributed to a fall some time 
previous. She was in the following state : — 

Local Affection. — The patient complained 
of violent burning and throbbing pains, with 
fulness at the rectum, hemorrhoidal tumors 
appeared at each evacuation, no relief was 
obtained oftener than once in eight days, with 
much pain. 

Sympathetic Affections. — Pressive pain in 
the forehead and occiput, coryza, loss of ap- 
petite, clammy taste in the mouth, leucor- 
rhoea a few days before and after the cata- 
menia, contusive pains in the limbs, excessive 
sensibility to external impressions, extreme 
excitability of the whole nervous system, 
tendency to anger and ill humor, sleep 
broken by alarming dreams. 

All these symptoms indicated nux, which 
was administered (10th, 3). The first dose 
speedily produced a good effect ; the appetite 
improved, sleep became tranquil, and the 
leucorrhoea soon disappeared. It may be 
said that these phenomena would have occur- 
red of their own accord simply under the in- 
fluence of diet ; but to meet this objection it 
must here be stated that the patient had fre- 
quently subjected herself to a much more se- 
vere regimen without obtaining any success- 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 73 

one of the most dangerous when impro- 
perly applied, or repeated too frequently. 
In repeating a dose of lachesis, great atten- 
tion must be paid to the moral condition, 
the sleep, and the appetite ; if all be right in 
this respect, we may repeat the dose with 
confidence, although fresh symptoms have 
been exhibited. After these three doses of 
lachesis, nothing was administered for fifteen 
days, in order to leave sufficient time for 
their action to exhaust itself. It was then 
found that the symptoms for staphys. and 
natr. carb. were indicated, which was pre- 
scribed in dose 10th, 3. These remedies 
concluded the treatment, and the patient was 
perfectly cured after two months' application 
of the homoeopathic system, without recur- 
ring to a course of mineral water which his 
medical attendant had advised. 

Experience has proved that nux vomica 
24th, is peculiarly efficacious against this dis- 
ease, especially when it is caused by the 
use of heating drinks, such as wine, spirits, 
strong beer, and coffee, by the influence of 
sedentary habits and of prolonged study, by 
the hardness of the faecal matter, worms, 
pregnancy, swelling of the abdominal vis- 
cera, organic injuries of the rectum and 
neighboring parts. When it has for symp- 
toms considerable excrescences which are 
the seat of burning and shooting pains, a 

7* 



74 



DISEASES OP THE 



sense of strangling in the rectum, narrowness 
of that viscus, joined to dull arid darting 
pains felt by shocks in the loins and hip- 
bones ; a pain as of cracking in the loins on 
the slightest movement, which causes the pa- 
tient to cry out, and does not permit him to 
remain erect or to walk except in a bent 
position, a flow of pure clear blood after 
alvine evacuations, or accompanied by de- 
sire of evacuation. 

Case. — Mr. S., aged thirty, of strong 
constitution and rery corpulent, had for some 
years been afflicted with a hemorrhoidal af- 
fection, characterized by swelling and thick- 
ening of the hemorrhoidal veins, accompa- 
nied with constipation and strangury. The 
use of leeches applied to the part almost 
every month afforded the patient a tempo- 
rary relief, but the disease grew worse, and 
each time it became necessary to apply the 
leeches at shorter intervals. He exhibited 
the following symptoms : vertigo, confusion 
of ideas, throbbing pains in the temples as if 
nails were being driven in, face pale and 
puffed, contraction and slight convulsive 
movement of the eyelids, singing in the ears, 
tongue whitish, the patient having a sensa- 
tion as if it were contracted, thirst and desire 
for cooling drinks. In the morning, vomit- 
ing of slimy acid matter, mucus in the mouth 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 77 

ful result. At the end of fifteen days, as there 
were still remains of headache, and the he- 
morrhoidal tumor occasionally protruded, 
sepia 10th, 3, was administered. Three 
weeks afterwards, in order to remove the 
pimples from the face, and destroy the predo- 
minant venosity, was prescribed sulph. 8th, 
which produced the desired effect. 

In these cases a distinction is made between 
local and sympathetic affections, and this 
method will save students a vast deal of 
trouble in the examination of the patient and 
the selection of the remedy. In combining 
the primitive affection with the moral state, 
and guided by the combined appearance of 
the symptoms, selecting the best homoeopa- 
thic remedy, it is almost impossible to go 
wrong. There are cases in which we find 
no organ or system specially affected, and 
consequently we cannot distinguish between 
the local and sympathetic affection, though 
both are in existence. In such a case, a be- 
ginner should administer sulphur and bella- 
donna, alternately at suitable intervals, un- 
til the sufferings are relieved or the symptoms 
appear more marked, guided by which we 
can easily discover the proper remedy. Sul- 
phur may also be administered at intervals 
of two, four, six, or eight days, according to 
the susceptibility of the patient. The selec- 
tion of dilutions may be regulated in the 



78 DISEASES OF THE 

same way. A susceptible patient is often 
acted upon as strongly by a very small dose 
as another, not easily affected, will be by the 
strongest. Peculiarity of constitution can 
alone decide the point, and hence so many 
opinions upon this important subject. In 
this matter all depends upon the extent of 
the patient's susceptibility, and this is the 
reason why hypochondriacs are frequently 
so long before they experience any effect. 

Case. — In the case of a young female, at 
the end of her sixth accouchement, after two 
attacks of intermittent fever, the inflamma- 
tion of the hemorrhoidal tumors extended 
between the ninth and the thirteenth day, 
gradually to the following extent : the ori- 
fice of the anus swollen in a round and thick 
bunch, divided by furrows into three unequal 
parts, one being the size of a small egg, the 
others of a nutmeg. The tumors were of a 
bluish-red, hard, hot, shining, and extremely 
painful when touched. The patient suffered 
extreme pain in the part, as if it were exco- 
riated, accompanied by violent pricking and 
shooting pains. The latter occurred from 
time to time in paroxysms, and produced in- 
voluntary exclamations. The patient was 
unable to sit, turned herself with difficulty, 
and always with increased pain. Muriatic 
acid 3d, gutta 2, cured her in ten days. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL, 79 

Case. — A lad aged thirteen, who was in 
other respects in good health, had for several 
years been suffering incessantly from hemor- 
rhoids, in the cure of which all allopathic 
treatment had been found ineffectual. The 
affection was manifested by the following 
symptoms : infrequent evacuations, extreme- 
ly painful, every third or fourth day ; several 
tumors appearing at each motion with con- 
siderable loss of blood ; in addition, they bled 
frequently through the day. Nux vomica and 
igaatia (several doses) produced regularity 
of evacuations, so that they occurred every 
day and completely free from pain. Nitric 
acid 15th, administered at short intervals 
during several weeks successively, stopped 
the flow of blood, the tumors gradually 
appeared less frequently and finally ceased 
altogether. The same success has been ob- 
tained by administering daily a tea-spoonful 
of ammon. carbonic. 10th, gl. 3, dissolved in 
six ounces of water. 

Before antipsorics were known, says Hart- 
mann, I always regarded bryony (4th and 
6th,) as an invaluable remedy in cases of he- 
morrhoidal tumors, and even at the present 
time I by no means reject it, although nu- 
merous antipsorics are more efficacious in 
these affections. Its salutary influence is 
remarkably observable when the patient 
complains of burning pain in the lower part 



80 DISEASES Of TR® 

of the rectum, after evacuation, and when 
pain leaves him slowly. Its indication is still 
more certain when the patient suffers from 
fulness on the left side of the loins, and this 
fulness degenerates during movement into 
lancinating pressive pain, relieved only by 
rest, and announced by too great a flow of 
blood. 

A description of pain in the stomach, of 
frequent occurrence in persons suffering from 
hemorrhoids, after the apparition of tumors 
at the anus, may here be mentioned. It is 
also frequently met with in pregnant women $ 
who during their pregnancy have been sub* 
ject to varicose veins of the legs, which after 
delivery cause considerable pain, and are 
often accompanied by headache, diminished 
by rest and increased by motion. 

Case.—A woman aged forty-eight, and 
the mother of several children, had been at 
flicted since her last accouchement with he* 
morrhoidal tumors. These tumors bled seve* 
ral times in the year, with good effect. Sud* 
denly, however, moral causes occurred to ag* 
gravate the affection, which then presented 
the following condition. 

Itching and heat at the anus, shooting 
pains in the rectum ; frequent tenesmus, sen- 
sation of fulness in the abdomen ; six small 
tumors of different sizes, round and oval 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 81 

shape, of a bright red, extremely painful, in- 
ability to sit down, evacuations accompanied 
with much pain. 

Compresses steeped in decoction of canto- 
mile, were applied to the parts, and adminis- 
tered internally a small portion of the camo- 
mile extract. At the end of twenty- four 
hours all the symptoms were diminished, 
and on the fourth day all trace of disease had 
vanished. 

[If the patient be of a very plethoric ha- 
bit, the disease is not of long standing, the 
pains in the sacrum are slight, and the burn- 
ing and itching hardly perceptible, nux vom. 
will act beneficially. If the patient com- 
plain of itching and burning in the anus, 
pains in the sacrum, as if the latter were bro- 
ken, and finds it very difficult to lean for- 
ward, the bowels be sluggish, faeces hard, 
frequently as if burnt, and there are hemor- 
rhoidal excrescences, ars. is the remedy.] 



ENTERITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE 
INTESTINAL CANAL. 

Aconite possesses virtues both powerful 
and prompt in salutary operation when em- 
ployed in inflammation of the intestines, 
bladder, lungs, etc. In enteritis the eflica- 

8 



82 DISEASES OF THE 

ciousness and speedy operation of its cura- 
tive effects, seem to be developed in direct 
proportion to the intensity of the inflamma- 
tory symptoms, the violence and extent of the 
fever, the power and acuteness of the pains, 
tensive darting or shooting, for the more in- 
tense the symptoms are, the delirium, and 
respiration short and difficult, the fewer nerv- 
ous symptoms present themselves, aconite 
10th becomes more energetic and indispen* 
sable. 

Case.— In the month of September, 1838, 
a young person aged fourteen, having taken 
cold after being much heated, had been seiz- 
ed with very severe enteritis. In spite of all 
the allopathic means which had been used, 
such as leeches, of which eighty-seven were 
applied during the first six days, fomenta- 
tions, emollient cataplasms, liniments with 
oil of henbane and tincture of opium, emol- 
lientand slightly-laxative lavements, bathing 
of the lower extremities, emulsions and calo- 
mel, finally joined with opium, the disease, 
instead of decreasing, increased daily up to 
the seventh, at which time the patient was all 
but dead. Aconite 8th, 3, was prescribed to 
be repeated every thre # e hours during the 
night. The next morning, the eighth of the 
disease, the young patient was much better. 
For the first time since the commencement of 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 83 

the disease, she had slept for quarters and 
half-hours at a time during the night ; the 
constant vomiting accompanying the taking 
of food, had ceased ; the pains in the lower 
part of the abdomen, which had been previ- 
ously incessant, had almost entirely depart- 
ed ; the abdomen was but little sensitive to 
the touch, less swollen and distended ; the 
fever, previously incessant, was fast subsid- 
ing, and this complete change occurred with- 
out any crisis by perspiration. The patient 
again took a few doses of aconite during the 
day. The following morning she was per- 
fectly free from danger. 

This homoeopathic case astonished her 
friends not a little. Still I could not per- 
suade myself that it was attributable to the 
administering of aconite in such small doses. 
I rather thought it ought to be considered as 
a consequent effect of the antiphlogistic treat- 
ment previously adopted, although this hy- 
pothesis was weakened by the absence of 
any crisis, and a crisis of some kind will 
generally occur in inflammatory diseases of 
this nature. 

The entire recovery of the patient was 
long : she was very weak, and was unable to 
walk without assistance before the expiration 
of three weeks. During the fourth week, she 
exposed herself carelessly to cold air, and 
that brought on the same disease again. In- 



84 DISEASES OF THE 

cessant pains in the umbilical region, increas- 
ed by the slightest pressure, painful eructa- 
tions, frequent vomiting of a yellowish-green 
matter, constipation, pulse small, quick and 
hard, general heat, thirst, continued agitation 
and anxiety, sufficiently announced a case of 
enteritis. The parents of the patient re- 
quested that recourse should be had to ho- 
moeopathy : aconite 8th, 3, was administered. 
A quarter of an hour had scarcely transpired 
before the patient fell into a quiet sleep that 
lasted more than three hours ; upon awaken- 
ing she felt herself relieved ; she no longer 
complained of any of the previous symptoms, 
but wished to leave her bed, which, however, 
she was not allowed to do till the following 
day. 

Affections of this kind when treated allo- 
pathically, continue generally from seven to 
nine days before there is any vast improve- 
ment I was therefore not a little astonished 
at so prompt a cure by a single dose of aco- 
nite, without any exhibition internal or ex- 
ternal of allopathic remedies. 

A careful perusal of the annexed case will 
convince the reader that, in certain cases, 
nigella sativa has an incontestible advantage 
over aconite. 

A female, aged twenty-seven years, the 
mother of three children, who had enjoyed 
uninterrupted good health with the exception 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 85 

of measles and scarlet fever when young, 
was attacked with violent enteritis, which 
during four days baffled copious bleedings, 
and the usual remedies. The state of the pa- 
tient was as follows : violent febrile action at 
night, head confused, diminution of sensibili- 
ty, tendency to ill-humor, indifference, great 
anxiety alternately with a sensation of heat 
and tension, inability to preserve an upright 
position, trembling, disordered vision, diffi- 
culty in moving the eyes, sensation of paraly- 
sis in the eyelids, violent buzzing in the ears, 
dryness of the nose, with sensation of cold, 
sinking of the features, face of a red color, 
lips pale and trembling, tongue red, dry and 
furred, with difficulty of moving it, speech 
muttering and unintelligible, as in cases of 
paralysis, rancid taste in the mouth, no se- 
cretion of saliva, loss of appetite, sensation 
of fulness, without any desire to vomit, pres- 
sure at the stomach with tensive pain, palpi- 
tation in the region of the stomach, contrac- 
tion of the abdomen, pressure at the ai*us, 
respiration slow, deep and noisy, gaping, 
moaning, deep and pressive pain in the chest, 
occasional cough, palpitations of the heart, 
swelling of the abdomen, tension and ex- 
treme sensibility of the part when touched, 
and violent darting pains when leaned upon, 
swelling in a direction toward the inguinal 
region, shooting with pricking pains, on the 

8* 



86 DISEASES OP THE 

slightest touch, decrease of urinary secretion, 
occasionally accompanied with heat, bor- 
borygmi in the hypogastrium, ulcerative 
pains, immobility of the legs, sensation of 
curvature in the loins, occasionally violent 
burning heat followed by cold, great agita- 
tion, loss of sleep, frequent sighing, moaning, 
indolence, with great irritability of the nerv- 
ous system. 

The symptoms of enteritis were clearly de- 
veloped, and the disease was so advanced 
that slight hopes remained of cure. Less re- 
liance was to be placed on aconite, than up- 
on those remedies adopted to oppose nervous 
symptoms. Neither nux vomica nor bryony 
appearing suitable, nigella 6th, gl. 1, was 
administered. At first, it did not appear to 
produce any favorable effect ; at the end of 
one hour, all the symptoms were increased: 
delirium, with extreme heat at the back part 
of the head, continual jactitation, cries, respi- 
ration short and quick, unquenchable thirst 
with burning heat, violent pains in the abdo- 
men towards the loins, sharp cutting gnawing 
pains in the intestines, involuntary move- 
ments in bed, requiring the patient to be 
held down. At the end of two hours, these 
affections diminished, the head was relieved, 
accompanied by repose, tranquillity and ge- 
neral improvement. Towards evening, in- 
crease of symptoms, but in a slight degree 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 87 

and for a shorter period, soon succeeded by- 
drowsiness and tolerably quiet sleep, disturb- 
ed only by agitating dreams, involuntary 
startings and inarticulate words. The patient 
passed a quiet night. The following morn- 
ing, with the exception of shooting and ten- 
sive pains in the abdomen, and excessive 
weakness, the patient was tolerably well, and 
complained only of dull pressive headache 
in the forehead, with rather sharp pains in 
the occiput, thirst, and dislike to food. A se- 
cond globule was administered, which pro- 
duced a very short aggravation of the symp- 
toms, especially of the headache, whilst the 
tensive and darting pain in the abdomen was 
succeeded by shooting pains. The febrile 
exacerbation of the evening was also less vio- 
lent; nux 10th, gl. 1, was administered. The 
next morning, the patient said she had slept 
well and soundly, and that she felt tolerably 
strong ; all the pains in the head had depart- 
ed, when she felt only a sensation of vacuity; 
there was no sensation of heat or cold, respi- 
ration free, ordinary tone of voice, very slight 
thirst, tongue moist, a little white at the 
edges, but no redness, natural taste, desire 
for food, sensation of emptiness in the sto- 
mach, occasional eructations without pain, 
plentiful evacuations, hard and of a dark co- 
lor, departure of pains and swelling of the ab- 
domen, only in sitting up in bed shooting 



88 DISEASES OP THE 

pains with tension in the coecal region. On 
the sixth day, the patient was free from any 
irregularity excepting ordinarily, in the even- 
ing, a shooting and pressive headache at the 
back part of the head. Strength, however, 
soon returned under the influence of a gene- 
rous diet, the appetite was restored, the pa- 
tient had two evacuations daily, and slept 
well during the night. From this time, the 
cure was complete. 

Aeon, is no doubt the main remedy, but 
not always sufficient to extinguish al the 
symptoms, and requires the aid of Bell, in 
most cases. When obstinate constipation is 
present and Aeon, has not removed the burn- 
ing pains in the umbilical region, Bry. should 
be administered. 



DIARRHCEA. 

This is a prompt and repeated evacuation 
of humors secreted in a defective manner, 
and in too great abundance, with or without 
a mixture of faecal matter. It is often only 
a slight indisposition, without danger ; but it 
may also be accompanied by pains and fever, 
may degenerate into another malady, and 
may have very serious consequences if it is 
not suitably treated. Its most common cause 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 

is cold, or intemperance in eating or drinking. 
Its accessory symptoms are the partial or 
total loss of appetite, cardialgia, swelling and 
tension of the abdomen, borborygmi, dryness 
and coldness of the skin, thirst, scanty 
secretion of the kidneys, depression, irregu- 
larity and intermittent arterial pulsations, 
cutting and tearing pain, frequently in one 
part, sometimes in another, with an inclina- 
tion to vomit, which disappears to return 
again at the end of a few minutes. Long and 
violent diarrhoeas cause burning in the rec- 
tum, tenesmus, great weakness, alterations in 
the features and even faintings. 

Dulcamara 24th, is an infallible remedy 
against aqueous diarrhoeas which arise from 
cold, and are not accompanied either with 
pains in the abdomen or any other accessory 
indisposition. 

To diarrhoea arising from cold must be op- 
posed china 12th, when the evacuations are 
of an acrid and clear liquid, without mixture 
of faecal matter, are preceded by violent 
colics, by spasmodic and pressive pains in 
the intestines, eructations, borborygmi, and 
by a sensation of weakness in the abdomen. 

Case. — A man aged eighty-one, in full 
possession of his intellectual faculties, though 
of a delicate constitution, generally healthy 
and of regular habits, was seized in the au- 



90 DISEASES OF THE 

tumn of 1836, without any perceptible cause, 
with a serious disease ; after a few days, 
during which the disease had continued to 
increase, I was called in to prescribe. 

For the last two days, and especially at 
night, a very copious diarrhoea, watery and 
mucous ; the patient voided what little food 
he took undigested; he had frequent vo- 
mitings of mucus, water and aliments, with 
sour and bitter taste ; however small the 
quantity of liquids or solids, he instantly 
experienced painful pressure in the abdomen, 
and especially in the region of the stomach, 
with oppression at the chest, followed by 
eructations which gave some relief. No ap- 
petite, constant feeling of fulness, and an 
insurmountable antipathy to what he was 
previously most fond of. Sleep broken, ex- 
haustion amounting almost to syncope, pulse 
quick and rather hard ; anxiety, restlessness 
and agitation. 

Nothing was so well suited to this indi- 
vidual case of disease as bark. Everything 
indicated it, his physical as well as his moral 
condition. Bark in solution was consequently 
administered, at ten in the morning. 

The next day, the patient's condition was 
altered considerably for the better. No diar- 
rhoea, nor vomiting; the patient had enjoyed a 
good night's rest ; his appetite was somewhat 
better ; he speedily recovered his usual tone 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 9 1 

of body and mind ; and in a few days he was 
restored to as perfect health as was compati- 
ble with his age. 

A lady, advanced in years, had been for 
some weeks suffering severely from continu- 
ed diarrhoea. She had taken all possible 
domestic medicines, and even applied to 
several allopathic physicians. She was then 
very pale, thin and weak. She could eat but 
little, and almost instantly voided the food 
undigested; thirst extreme. Six doses of 
china 11th, one every three hours, having 
produced no effect, one drop of tinct. ratan- 
hice was administered night and morning. 
At the end of four days, the complaint had 
subsided; but the remedy was continued, 
since which time she has had no relapse. 

If the cold is caused by night air, and pro- 
duces a pinching at the pit of the stomachy 
borborygmi, a feeling of relaxation as if eva- 
cuation were about to take place, a cutting 
and tearing pain with pressure in the abdo- 
men, which is cold, nausea, shivering, sudden? 
and frequent desire to evacuate, at first 
without result, and afterwards with excre- 
tions, frequent, aqueous and green, with dis- 
position to fainting, it is desirable to admi- 
nister mercury 12th. 

If diarrhoea arises from errors of regimen, 
and manifests itself by loss of appetite, with a 
sensation of dryness, etc., of slight burning of 



92 DISEASES OF THE 

the tongue without thirst, a bitter and saltish 
taste in the mouth, eructations foetid, hic- 
cough, nausea, and vomiting, fulness of the 
abdomen, colic, much flatulence, commotion 
of the intestines, urgent desire to relieve the 
bowels, inquietude, with frequent evacu- 
ations, pulsatilla 12th, is the best remedy. 

Chamomilla 12th, is employed successfully 
against diarrhoeas which arise from anger, 
accompanied by bitter taste in the mouth, 
eructations, a sensation of fulness at the pit 
of the stomach, pressive pain in the head, 
general weakness, frequent evacuations of 
green, aqueous, acrid and foetid matter. 

Pains in the abdomen violent, tearing, 
which leave no rest to the patient, and oblige 
him to twist himself, a sensation as if the ab- 
domen were entirely empty, with continual 
movement of the intestines, blue circles 
round the eyes, nausea, vomiting, evacuations 
watery, mucous and foetid, are symptoms 
requiring the employment of chamomilla 
12th. 

Those which result from fear, anxiety, and 
generally from strong emotions, yield readily 
to opium 6 th. 

Case. — A man aged forty, previously in 
the enjoyment of good health, was seized 
suddenly during the night with violent colic 
and continued diarrhoea; next day, things 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 93 

remained in the same state ; and in the even- 
ing I was sent for. I found the patient in 
bed, very weak, his breath affected when 
speaking, and he complained of alternations 
of cold and heat. Evacuations occurred very 
frequently, preceded by pains in the abdo- 
men ; they were discharged with violence and 
were altogether aqueous ; at the same time 
there was much flatus in the abdomen, with 
nausea and excessive thirst. Had cholera 
existed in the vicinity, the patient might have 
been thought to be slightly affected with it. 
From the general appearance of his face, it 
was evident that the abdominal nervous sys- 
tem was considerably affected. Half a grain 
of arsenic was pounded with two scruples of 
sugar, and divided into fifteen powders, one 
to be taken every hour as long as the exhaust- 
ing diarrhoea continued. At the same time a 
slight emulsion of almonds was prescribed as 
a beverage in very small draughts. From 
the moment he took the arsenic, he had only 
six diarrhoeal evacuations. He fell asleep, 
but not into a sound sleep, before midnight, 
and had no evacuation during the night. In 
the morning, he had slept well, and, though 
very weak, felt more easy ; the skin was 
moist, and thirst less violent. The same 
remedy was continued, but more slowly, 
recommending him to discontinue it if the 
diarrhoea did not return : and he continued to 

9 



94 DISEASES OF THE 

\ 

improve. With the exception of the weak- 
ness and anorexia, the patient recovered ra- 
pidly. A few doses of the sixth of a grain of 
nux vomica cured him completely. 

Diarrhoea in Women. — As this complaint 
frequently arises from cold, it is advisable to 
keep the stomach warm, in order to aid the 
action of dulcam. 8th, which is a specific in 
such cases. If the diarrhoea arises from the 
stomach being overcharged, or from fat food, 
prescribe phi sat. 6 th, and sometimes anti- 
mon. cr. 10th, gl. 1. If it be accompanied 
by pains in the stomach, and the excretions 
be watery, it will be necessary to recur to 
chamomilla 4th, gl. 2. When there is 
tenesmus and frequent evacuations, small in 
quantity, mucous and bloody, it may almost 
always be removed by mere. sol. 4th, some- 
times also by salph. 10th, which is remarka- 
bly useful in obstinate and habitual diar- 
rhoeas. In certain cases phosph. and petrol. 
deserve preference. If the complexion be 
very yellow and sallow, lycop. 10th may be 
successfully used. 

The following case proves the necessity of 
carefully observing the characteristic symp- 
toms of a disease before the application of the 
remedy. My own wife, says a homoeopathic 
practitioner, who was very subject to diar- 
rhoea arising from cold, complained in the 
morning of violent griping pains, tendency to 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 95 

vomiting and looseness. As I had frequently 
cured her in similar cases with dulcamara, I 
did not hesitate to administer it ; but finding 
no improvement in her condition in the space 
of an hour, I administered veralrum album 
without any more beneficial effect. Another 
hour elapsed, when by careful observation 
I found that the diarrhoea was accompanied 
by tenesmus. I then gave her mere, solub. 
Five minutes afterwards she fell asleep, and 
awoke in half an hour free from all pain and 
diarrhoea. The sleep convinced me that I 
had selected the proper remedy, as it is 
always consequent upon the administration 
of good specifics. 

Whenever the patient falls into a sleep or 
even a state of dozing immediately after tak- 
ing the remedy prescribed, we may safely 
prognosticate a cure; it does not, however, 
follow that sleep must necessarily precede the 
removal of disease. 

In dysenteric diarrhoea, sharp shooting 
and griping pains in the abdomen ; violent 
pain in the back and loins : pressure at the 
stomach after eating; eight or ten evacuations 
daily ; ejection of a small quantity of white 
mucus, followed by tenesmus ; constant but 
ineffectual attempts to evacuate ; alternations 
of cold and heat, the former especially ; 
thirst, etc. ; was removed by belladonna. The 



96 DISEASES OF THE 

patient, a female, at other times quiet and 
good-tempered, was very irritable and con- 
tinually crying. 

In chronic diarrhoea with eruption of itch- 
ing pimples on the body, and leucorrhoea, 
emetic tart, was successful. 

Diarrhoea in Children. — An infant, thirteen 
weeks old, had been crying incessantly for 
days, suffering from green diarrhoea, some- 
times mucous, and at others watery. The 
family attendant administered an infusion of 
camomile and opium in fennel water from 
time to time, because the child refused all 
food and even fluids. For the last two or 
three days, he dozed with the eyes half open : 
the veins of the head were full of blood ; at 
times he awoke starting from his sleep, cried 
violently and exhibited extreme restlessness. 
The medical attendant finding him very 
weak, began to doubt if he would live through 
the night. After a few doses of coff. 3d, 1, 
belladonna 10th, 2, and one of mix vomica 
10th, 1, employed as an antidote to the 
opium j matters returned in three days to 
their primitive state. The diarrhoea, rest- 
lessness and griping, were speedily remov- 
ed by a single dose of senna 2d, 3. The 
child recovered its health ten days after- 
wards. 

Ipecacuanha is useful in serous diarrhoea 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 99 

the abdomen, without flatulence, sometimes 
voracious appetite, and at others total loss, 
thirst, etc. 

In chronic dysenteric diarrhoea in children 
accompanied with violent griping pains, great 
thirst, loss of substance and slow fever, ar- 
sen. alb. is very efficient. 

In cases of neglected diarrhoea in children 
during their first dentition, when they void 
a brown liquid five or six times every day, 
become extremely thin and yellow, and there 
is loss of appetite, with enlargement of the 
abdomen, ars. 10th, gl. 1, is frequently suc- 
cessful. In one case, a single dose was suffi- 
cient ; in other cases, the dose was repeated 
every three days : but in no case more than 
four times. 

Dulcamara is useful in diarrhoeas with 
which children are attacked during dentition, 
and to which are often joined fever and loss 
of appetite. 

[Diarrhoea caused by cold, when the 
stools are liquid, yellow, mucous, with colic 
and cutting pains about the navel, want of 
appetite, desire for drink, nausea, pallor, 
weakness and uneasiness, requires dulca- 
mara. If there is constant rumbling in the 
bowels, with a sensation as if the belly were 
empty, nausea, vomiting, mucous stools, 
give pulsat. ; if the stools smell like bad eggs, 
cham. 



100 DISEASES OF THE 

Diarrhoea caused by irregularity of diet is 
accompanied by bad taste in the mouth, of- 
fensive breath, eructations and nausea, ful- 
ness in the region of the stomach, want of ap- 
petite. Here too puis, is indicated, especially 
if the irregularity of diet consisted in the par- 
taking of too much fat meat, fried food and 
rich pastry. Diarrhoea attributable to eating 
fruit will be stopped by bry. Against diar- 
rhoeas and vomiting from over-indulgence in 
fruit, verai. should be given after every stool ; 
or ipec. 

Diarrhoea attended with very rapid pros- 
tration, watery stools, and colic pains, re- 
quires ars. Diarrhoea during dentition is to 
be cured by many remedies, amongst which 
sulph. and mere, are very prominent.] 



DYSENTERY. 

Mercury is the principal remedy in this 
disease, and has been found extremely effica- 
cious in two epidemics. The disease was 
mostly simple dysentery, commencing with 
shivering and cold, with alternations of heat, 
with pain in the abdomen with watery evacu- 
ations as in ordinary diarrhoea : but very soon 
the fever increased, with cold, heat, thirst, 
headache, and general depression, and the 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 97 

in children, accompanied by vomiting of a 
green or white mucus, with griping pains in 
the abdomen. 

In those acute diarrhoeas in children de- 
scribed as relaxation of the stomach and the 
intestinal canal, the diarrhoea is established 
without any perceptible cause. Evacuations 
copious and more or less frequent, according 
to the intensity of the disease, consisting of 
aqueous mucous matter, sometimes greenish, 
and at others greyish, of foetid smell. At the 
same time, slight fever, heat in the palms of 
the hands and soles of the feet, incessant 
thirst, loss of appetite, rapid wasting of the 
body, constant agitation, moaning and weep- 
ing, paleness and dryness of the skin without 
turgescence, abdomen very sensitive, puffed, 
elastic, occasional vomiting, urine small in 
quantity and colorless, sleep comatose or 
light, eyes half closed. The patient remains 
in this state from three to five days. 

A few doses of cede. acet. gl. 1, suppressed 
the incessant and copious evacuations, and 
the child, which was previously almost a 
skeleton, soon became florid and ruddy. In 
another case, in addition to chalk, mere. sol. 
was administered with good effect. 

In the most acute form of this disease, 
especially when attended by violent pains in 
the abdomen, colocynthis is undoubtedly the 
first and best remedy. 

9* 



98 DISEASES OF THE 

In children towards the fourth month, 
those green diarrhoeas, attributed to acidity 
in the primes vice, or to dentition, are often 
observed. The disease appears to depend 
upon some particular anomaly of the biliary 
secretion, the causes of which are unknown. 
The evacuations are more or less frequent, of 
a vegetable green, sometimes watery, at other 
times and more generally mucous, frothy, 
like the white of an egg, and occasionally 
mixed with sanguinolent mucus. The chil- 
dren cry very frequently, from griping pains, 
abdomen swollen, with loss of substance. In 
such cases, mercury has been found an inva- 
luable specific. Sometimes diarrhoeas- occur 
in children of more advanced age, that suc- 
cessfully resist various modes of treatment 
for a long time. Suddenly aphthae appear, 
and in a few days mercury removes both the 
diarrhoea and the sores. Generally speaking, 
diarrhoea in children depends upon a sub- 
inflammatory state of the mucous intestinal 
membrane. 

Ferrum carbonicum is useful in diarrhoea, 
especially in children. When the disease 
has existed for some time, after eating or 
drinking there are speedy aqueous evacu- 
ations without pain or effort, containing al- 
most always a certain quantity of undigested 
food, accompanied with paleness of the face, 
loss of substance, hardness and swelling of 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 101 

evacuations assumed a dysenteric character. 
In the midst of extreme pains, occurring at 
very short intervals, with violent tenesmus, 
pain and burning heat, there ,were evacu- 
ations of small quantities of blood and mucus. 
The tongue was more or less furred and dry, 
with loss of appetite and pains in the limbs. 
In many cases, especially in children, the 
discharges were accompanied with masses of 
dark-green mucus, which occurred more or 
less frequently every quarter of an hour, with 
tenesmus. Many patients required only one 
dose of mercury pule. 3d, gl. 1. Others re- 
quired several doses. 

The wonderfully prompt operation of sub- 
limate in autumnal dysentery in adults, has 
frequently been witnessed. A few doses of 
the sixth dilution were sufficient to stop the 
most violent attacks. In colics and diar- 
rhoeas, the proper homoeopathic remedies, 
such as colocynth, aloes, and rheum, have 
been no less successful. 

A man was suffering severely as follows: — 
The affection commenced with cold and heat, 
anxiety, diarrhoea, spasms in the abdomen, 
violent pain in the loins, tenesmus, and void- 
ing of a small quantity of blood. The reme- 
dies applied, antiphlogistics, did not diminish 
the disease ; on the contrary, the anxiety, 
tenesmus and thirst increased ; every ten mi- 
nutes the patient vomited sanguineous mucus 



102 DISEASES OF THE 

mixed with blood. On the third day, he took 
sublimate 16th, which in a few days entirely 
removed the symptoms. 

In dysentery in a child eighteen months 
old, who had previously suffered from humid 
tetter, the dysentery had baffled allopathic 
treatment. The child, which was previously 
strong and healthy, grew pale and thin at the 
end of three weeks, and ejected sanguineous 
mucus without particular suffering several 
times a day. A few doses of baryta effected 
its speedy removal. 

A female, aged twenty-three, of phlegmatic 
temperament, was seized, in consequence of 
eating unripe fruit and other errors in regi- 
men, with discharge of blood, to which she 
at first paid no attention. The skin was dry ; 
there were sharp, shooting pains in the abdo- 
men ; thirst, bitter taste in the mouth, tenes- 
mus, bilious evacuations streaked with blood. 
A very small dose of tartar, emetic, removed 
it in three or four days. 

In the beginning of July, an epidemic 
dysentery broke out, consisting of three pe- 
riods. 

First Stage. — Attack: some were seized 
with giddiness, scarcely able to stand, heavi- 
ness of the head, griping pains in the abdo- 
men ; others with colic, nausea, pricking in 
various parts of the stomach. A patient 
complained of compression of the brain, and 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 103 

violent headache, especially about the fore- 
head, shooting pains and fulness of the orbits, 
especially when he held down his head. — 
Progress : after twelve or even twenty-four 
hours, painful tenesmus, useless attempts, or 
evacuation very small in quantity, of a frothy 
mucous matter, mixed at times with blood, 
during which the patient suffered severely 
from a feeling as if the intestines were com- 
pressed. Colic and pain in the abdomen, 
bending the patient almost double. Frothy 
evacuations of a yellowish color, similar to 
saffron. Desire to evacuate every five or 
ten minutes, accompanied by painful tenes- 
mus, pulse small and depressed, face sunk, 
weakness and trembling of the limbs, with 
anxiety. 

Second Stage.— Two or three days after 
the commencement of the disease, all the 
symptoms that affected the head and abdo- 
men grew worse, accompanied by a sensation 
of burning and pricking at the stomach, 
with vomiting, especially during evacuations. 
These were blackish and foetid ; a few mo- 
ments afterwards, violent, eructations, inces- 
sant hiccough, painful spasms and cramp of 
the abdomen, inclination to evacuate, some- 
times ineffectual, at others followed by a dis- 
charge of mucous matter and blood, frequent 
discharge of soft, puriform substances tinged 
with blood, described by the patient as if he 



104 DISEASES OF THE 

had voided a mass of substances, attended 
with insupportable pain. Tongue dry and 
rough, thirst, desire for iced water, painful 
lassitude, general spasm, cramp in the calves 
of the legs, trembling and weakness amount- 
ing to paralysis of the legs, cold shivering of 
the back, sensible coldness of the hands and 
feet, and soon after, heat of the forehead and 
head ; fever accompanied by dryness of the 
skin, depression and suffering as in approach- 
ing death. Loss of strength, the eyes sunken 
and surrounded by livid circles. Great fall- 
ing away, and occasionally death. 

Third Period. — Evacuations of blackish, 
'aqueous matter, eighty to one hundred daily : 
loss of substance and emaciation, general 
coldness and colliquative sweats, delirium, 
insatiable thirst, strong desire for ice, burn- 
ing heat of the mouth and stomach (pyrosis), 
tongue dry, chapped and blackish, teeth black, 
breath cadaverous, face hippocratic, constant 
groaning, violent suspirations and hiccoughs. 
Afterwards tranquillity, cessation of several 
symptoms, apparent improvement in the 
condition of the patient ; death. 

The remedies deemed advisable in accord- 
ance with the homoeopathic treatment were, 
in the first period, camomile of the tenth 
dilution, colocynth and corrosive sublimate of 
the thirteenth. Camomile taken in the form 
of globules (one or two every half-hour) 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 105 

always exercised a salutary but temporary 
influence during the first period of the dis* 
ease ; for which reason the patient was never 
left solely to its effects ; but there were admi- 
nistered eight or twelve hours afterwards, 
two globules of colocynth, and the patient 
was left for twenty-four hours to its action. 
At the end of this time, there was a sensible 
improvement, and health was re-established 
at the end of a few days. In a case where 
two globules of colocynth were given imme- 
diately on the commencement of the disease, 
a complete cure was performed in twenty- 
four hours. In an epidemic, corrosive sub- 
limate was administered, but it was discon^ 
tinued, no proof of its action having been 
witnessed. 

In the second stage colocynth was found 
again efficacious ; beneficial effects were also 
experienced from rlius toxicodendron and suh 
phuric acid. Rhus of the thirteenth dilution 
produced successful results, especially when 
the disease began, from improper allopathic 
treatment, to degenerate into typhus fever. 
In the last stage arsenic of the thirteenth 
dilution appeared to be effective. 

Case I. — A laboring man, aged twenty, of 
a strong constitution, had been for two days 
suffering under heaviness of the head, and 
acute pain in the forehead. On the morning 

10 



106 DISEASES Of THE 

of July 30, he was seized with violent colic^ 
and griping in the abdomen. His efforts 
were incessant, but ineffectual, to relieve the 
bowels, with tenesmus. In the evening, the 
following was the pathological state : vertigo 
similar to that produced by drinking, painful 
heaviness of the head, as if pressed in a vice, 
sudden shooting pains in the eyes, flatulence, 
violent colic as if the intestines were being 
cut, forcing the patient into a bending po- 
sition, useless efforts and tenesmus, evacu* 
ations of frothy matter mixed with blood and 
mucus, weakness of the legs, pulse slow and 
small, excessive thirst, paleness of the face, 
slight shivering, sensation of cold. Camomile 
of the tenth dilution repeated every three 
hours; colocynth the following morning. 
Finding that after six hours the morbid phe- 
nomena were relieved, fresh doses were ab- 
stained from. The following day, the patient 
was quite recovered and able to attend to his 
work* 

Case II.— A man, aged twenty-five, was 
seized, on the £3d of July, with vertigo and 
headache, accompanied with griping pains 
and copious evacuations. On the fifth day 
of the disease were observed the following 
phenomena : 

Suborbital cephalalgia, as if the head 
would split, acute pains in various parts of 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 107 

the abdomen, flatulence, tenesmus, nausea 
during evacuation, discharge of whitish frothy 
mucus every half-hour, mixed with streaks 
of blood, and accompanied by violent pains 
in the abdomen and sacrum, the patient feel- 
ing as if voiding his intestines. General weak- 
ness of all the limbs, sensation of paralysis, 
depression, eyes and face sunk, pulse small 
and slow. After employing coloeynth, repeat- 
ed during the first two days, with rlius and 
sulphuric acid, the patient recovered on the 
eighth day. 

One of his sisters, his eldest brother, and 
two of his daughters were similarly attacked 
with dysentery, accompanied by fever. The 
two daughters were also suffering from 
worms : nevertheless these four persons were 
cured by the use of aconite, camomile, rhus 
and sulphuric acid : the case, however, of 
the elder brother exhibited an instance of the 
danger of bleeding and leeches in this epi- 
demic. 

Case III. — A little girl, aged eight years, 
of weak constitution, was seized with dysen- 
tery and exhibited the following symptoms. 

Pain over the right eyelid, violent colic in 
the epigastrium, evacuations with pain in the 
abdomen, sometimes of mucous blood stained 
matter with ascarides, at others of bright 
clear blood. These evacuations were attend* 



10S DISEASES OP THE 

ed with intolerable pain, thirst, general cold- 
ness, paleness, loss of substance, fever in the 
afternoon, ceasing towards evening. Subli- 
mate was administered, and two days after 
colocynth : no improvement ; on the contrary, 
the patient was worse. 

Rhus was prescribed, and a cure was 
effected in the fourth day of the treatment, 
after three doses, being the fifteenth from 
the commencement of the attack. 

Case IV. — A young girl, aged sixteen, of 
rather strong constitution, was first seized 
with dysentery. On the fourteenth day of 
the disease, after she had gone through all 
the stages, it appeared to have degenerated 
into hectic fever. The following were the 
phenomena observed. Dysenteric evacu- 
ations, constant ejection of liquid matter and 
food, thirst excessive, tongue dry. Dull pain 
in the loins, hiccough, cough accompanied 
with expulsion of bronchial mucus, remittent 
fever, pulse frequent and weak, slight shiver- 
ing at night, fetid, clammy perspiration in 
the morning ; during the remainder of the 
day, skin dry and rough. Sensation of inter- 
nal heat, extreme thinness or rather emaci- 
ation, Pulsatilla repeated during three days. 
The sixth day arsenic and nitric acid alter- 
nately every six days. I had the satisfaction 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 109 

of finding that the young patient recovered 
completely in eighteen days. 

[Dysentery is divided into 1. white, when 
there are fever, cutting pains in the region 
of the stomach, frequent, forcible, painful de- 
sire to go to stool, and mucous evacuations ; 
2. red, when the evacuations are bloody ; 3. 
dry, when there is a constant desire to eva- 
cuate, but nothing passes. This latter is 
the worst form. The best remedies in the 
first are puis, and colchicum ; in the second 
mere, corrosivus and ipec. Violent colic- 
pains are generally present in both, and re- 
quire colocynth.'] 



SPORADIC CHOLERA. 

A female was suffering under this disease • 
continual vomiting, first of aliments, after- 
wards of a greenish liquid, with frequent 
diarrhoea, more and more liquid and color- 
less, violent cutting and shooting pains in the 
abdomen, cramp in the legs, suppression of 
the urinary secretion, rapid decrease of 
strength. Colocynth 6th, gt. 1, repeated 
every two or three hours, effected its speedy 
removal. 

Veratrum also is successful in sporadic 
cholera. 



10* 



110 DISEASES OF THE 

A child, six months old, of weak constitu- 
tion, had been for three days suffering from 
vomiting and diarrhoea, and was extremely 
weakened. Six doses of veratrum album 
12th, were administered, one every two or 
three hours. Still no improvement in his 
condition. His body was cold as ice, and 
thirst insatiable. The case was critical. 
Cupr. metallic. 30th, was prescribed, and a 
tea-spoonful was administered every ten or 
fifteen minutes, till these symptoms disap 
peared. The child was saved, and in a few 
days completely recovered. 



ASIATIC CHOLERA. 

It will not be amiss, if I put before the 
eyes of my readers, the advice given by 
Hahnemann, for the treatment of cholera. It 
is sufficiently simple, concise and easy of ap- 
plication, to be readily understood by every 
person. These instructions were given ex~ 
actly as follows. — First, therefore, I refer t » 
the precautions the medical man should tak j 
for his own safety. 

Directly epidemic cholera breaks out, eve- 
ry medical man should procure the following 
solution. Put an ounce of camphor in twelve 
ounces of pure spirits of wine, and shake it 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. Ill 

till it is completely dissolved. Before enter- 
ing the patient's room, take two drops of this 
solution as a preservative, and repeat the 
same precaution on entering every patient's 
room to prevent infection from the mephitic 
air confined there. Before entering the 
room, it will be well to wait a few seconds 
in the ante chamber, a precaution rendered 
necessary by the fatigue ' the v medical man 
suffers from his numerous avocations. If he 
visit his patient in a state of perspiration, he 
is much more likely to receive the contagion. 
Great attention also must be paid to diet, 
that is to say, he should never suffer either 
hunger or thirst, and never overload the stom- 
ach with food or liquid ; with respect to the 
choice of food, he should take only that which 
possesses undoubted nutritive qualities, with- 
out any exciting properties. But in this he 
must, like his patient, be guided by circum- 
stances, as it would not be discreet to discon- 
tinue, whilst the epidemic is raging, the use 
of wine, tea, coffee, or any other heating ar- 
ticle which he had been daily in the habit of 
using. It may be as well to add, that the 
medical man should be fully imbued with the 
importance of his functions at these difficult 
times, banish all fear from his mind, be pre- 
pared by reflection for all occurrences, and 
possess great presence of mind. 

Directly a patient is seized with cholera. 



112 DISEASES OF THE 

administer one or two drops of the solution 
of camphor before mentioned, on sugar or in 
pure water. Repeat the dose every five mi- 
nutes ; whatever the intensity of the disease, 
the camphor should in all cases be adminis- 
tered during the first hour after the com- 
mencement of the attack. As long as the 
patient feels any benefit from the use of the 
camphor, it should be continued ; and if the 
disease yields to this application, no other 
will be necessary. When this, however, is 
not the case, we must be guided in our treat- 
ment by what the symptoms require. If 
there is vomiting, or only tendency that way, 
or if the vomitings are accompanied by ex- 
cruciating pain, agitation and icy coldness, 
the patient should take one or two globules 
of arsenic. If this produces a good effect 
without complete cure, the dose should be 
renewed every two or three hours, according 
to the strength of the patient. 

If the symptoms enumerated above are ac- 
companied by cramps, recourse must be had, 
not to arsenic, but to cuprum, of which two 
globules may be administered, and the dose 
repeated every two hours if necessary. 

The cholera, however, may assume another 
form, its characteristic symptom being fre- 
quently violent diarrhoea. In this case vera- 
trum album must be given, and in this stage 
of the disease, ice may be beneficially used. 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 113 

Hahnemann expressly says, allow the pa- 
tient as much as he chooses. 

Sometimes a period occurs when the pa- 
tient falls into asphyxia. We must be care- 
ful, however, not to treat him as if dead, 
though he may appear to be so, much less 
consign him to the undertaker. We must 
administer a few drops of carbo vegetabilis in 
water, and at the same time rub the whole 
of the body with ice. 

But if the patient, when actually in as- 
phyxia, has not been previously treated ho- 
moeopathically, the whole external surface of 
the body must be rubbed with camphor, and 
a few drops in a glass of water be poured 
into his mouth, even if he is unable to 
swallow. 

Persons not suffering under acute cholera, 
and who, though not confined to their beds, 
are affected with cholerine, and experience 
alternately weakness, palpitation, anxiety, 
cramp in the calves of the legs, cold, uneasi- 
ness, sickness, diarrhoea, should take every 
day, or oftener if need be, one or two globules 
of phosphorus to preserve them from infec- 
tion. Persons who are quite free both from 
■cholera and cholerine, will do well to submit 
to preservative treatment, for which purpose 
they should take every eight days a globule 
of veratrum album, if diarrhoea be the chief 
characteristic of the disease, and a globule of 



114 DISEASES OF THE 

cuprum, if the general symptoms are vomit- 
ing and cramp. 



CHOLERINE. 

During the second invasion of the cholera 
at Berlin, Rome, Marseilles, etc., an epidemic 
broke out which attacked young children 
chiefly, adults not however being exempt 
from it. Although this epidemic did not 
present all the symptoms, nor yet all the 
intensity of cholera, still the character of the 
disease was the same, and this will be evi- 
dent from the following cases. This resem- 
blance induced a recurrence to those reme- 
dies which had frequently been found effica- 
cious in cases of cholera, and the result was 
satisfactory. 

The diarrhceal evacuations of the patients 
were whitish, liquid, and occasionally blood- 
stained, resembling the juice of meat, a cha- 
racteristic, with the exception perhaps of the 
blood, of most choleratic evacuations ; they 
were frequently accompanied with tenesmus 
and colic ; the patients suffered from nausea 
and sickness ; some exhibited a bluish dis- 
coloration round the eyes, nose and mouth. 
The limbs had lost a great portion of their 
natural heat. But of all these symptoms,, the 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 115 

most singular was the considerable loss of 
substance, and that in a few days; the skin 
became flaccid, by the disappearance of the 
subjacent fat, and lost its elasticity, as in old 
men. Whatever the symptoms were, it is 
certain that in many respects they were simi- 
lar to those of cholera, and also very analo- 
gous to those of epidemic dysentery. The 
major part of the patients had been unsuc- 
cessfully treated in the usual manner. 

Case I. — A child, aged eleven months, of 
good constitution, and previously enjoying 
excellent health, had been for six days suf- 
fering under violent colics, with very copious 
diarrhosal evacuations of a whitish color, 
very abundant, at times mixed with blood, 
extreme sleeplessness, face pale, eyes sunk, 
tongue dry and furred, sores on the sides of 
the nose, with obstruction of the nostrils, 
extreme thirst, loss of appetite, violent colic, 
with tenesmus causing the child to cry in- 
cessantly. 

The patient free from fever, the skin cold, 
extreme weakness and loss of substance, dis- 
pirited and exhausted. 

On the 28th of August, mix vomica, tenth 
dilution, was prescribed in four ounces of 
distilled water, three spoonsful every day 
The next morning, 29th, the patient had only 
three evacuations, more cohesive and free 



116 DISEASES OF Tfltf 

from blood. Again was administered a tea- 
spoonful of the mixture ; and on the follow- 
ing day, the child was able to sleep, and had 
recovered his playfulness and appetite. 

On the 1st of September, the patient was 
a second time seized with frequent blood- 
stained evacuations, accompanied with con- 
vulsions of the limbs and very violent tenes- 
mus, each evacuation preceded by cries and 
griping pains in the abdomen. On the 
second of September, prescribed veratrum, 
third dilution, in four ounces of distilled 
water, two spoonfuls to be taken during the 
day. On the third, the diarrhoea and colic 
were sensibly diminished, and on the fifth the 
patient was perfectly recovered. 

Case II. — A child, aged five months, in 
the enjoyment of general good health, and 
strong for her age, was seized with very co- 
pious diarrhoea towards the end of the month 
of August. For nine days, she had been 
treated in the usual way ; opiates and gums 
were administered both by the mouth and 
in lavements. On the first of September, she 
was as follows : 

Face very pale, eyes sunk and wandering, 
pupils dilated, features distorted, tongue 
dry and white, thirst, loss of appetite, fre- 
quent vomitings, violent colic and copious 
evacuations, discharge of foecal matter al- 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 117 

most every minute, loss of substance, skin 
dry and hot. No sleep for several nights, 
difficulty of breathing. 

As an internal remedy, nux vomica was 
prescribed, tenth dilution, in four ounces of 
distilled water, a spoonful every hour. At 
the same time, were applied to the stomach 
flannels soaked in warm water. On the fol- 
lowing day the child was much better, and 
on the third of September entirely cured. 



WORMS. 

Most frequently attack women and chil- 
dren, are engendered by bad food, moist and 
unhealthy air, and by everything which fa* 
vors the collection of mucus in the intesti- 
nal canal. Their existence is often unknown, 
and on the other hand, we attribute to them 
many affections which arise from other 
causes. 

The kinds of worms most common are as- 
carides, lumbrici and taenia or tape-worm. 

The ascarides resemble the worms of 
cheese, but some of them attain nearly the 
length of the finger. They are particularly 
common in children, to whom they cause a 
disagreeable itching in the intestinal canal 
and of the nose, frequent and pressing desire 

11 



118 DISEASES OP THE 

to relieve the bowels, with some other symp* 
toms. 

The lumbrici have the form of earth* 
worms. They are white, have at the point 
of the head, a circle surrounded with a little 
wart, unite in different parts of the intestines, 
on the parietes of which they cause, by mov- 
ing and sucking, an irritation which produces 
pinching and pain, particularly in the region 
of the umbilicus. The usual signs of their 
presence are the following : nausea, much 
aqueous saliva or other liquid in the mouth, 
foetid breath, countenance puffed and pale$ 
bluish or brownish arches below the eyes, 
dilatation of the pupils, sleep disturbed, ab- 
domen distended and tense. 

The tape-worm is flat, whitish, often very 
long, and composed of a great number of 
articulations. It is somewhat difficult to 
discover its existence. It sometimes occa- 
sions extraordinary sensations of pressure, of 
cold and of undulatory movement in the 
abdomen, acute pain, cramp, epileptic, and 
convulsive movements ; often none of these 
symptoms are observable. The only certain 
sign of its presence is the appearance of some 
portions which are naturally detached from 
its body, and are replaced by a new growth. 

The greater part of the means employed 
against these three kinds of worms have at 
most, for their result, the separation of a por- 



ALIMENTARY CANAL. 119 

tion of them, without destroying the morbid 
principle which produces them. When the 
lumbrici or the ascarides live in the intestines 
in children without producing any serious 
effects, they do not require interference of 
art. But if we observe signs or a real altera- 
tion in health, it becomes necessary to oppose 
to each particular case the means which it 
requires. We can most frequently employ 
against ascarides, aconite, nuoc, mercury, ig- 
natia, valerian ; and against lumbrici, mix, 
china, belladonna, mercury. 

Stramonium 9th, will remove colics pro- 
duced by worms. Cicuta virosa 30th, is sa- 
lutary in fevers caused by worms and ac- 
companied by cramps with violent pains in 
the bowels. — Tincture of sulphur 30th, 
causes the disappearance of the itching, which 
arises from the same cause. — Filix mas 11th, 
administered from time to time, always al- 
lays the irritation, which is sometimes pain- 
ful, produced by the tape-worm. 

[Cina is an excellent remedy when the 
sleep is uneasy, there are rolling of the eyes 
during sleep, bleeding at the nose, and vio- 
lent itching of the anus. If the bleeding at 
the nose returns frequently, puis, is indicated. 
Bloated face, nausea, vomiting, morbid ap- 
petite, periodical colic pains, mucous diar- 
rhoea, intermitting pulse and convulsions, call 
for verat; sabadilla, and cicuta. If the com- 



120 DISEASES, ETC. 

plaint is of long standing, antipsorics should 
be resorted to, such as calc. carb., natr. mur^ 
kali carb., caust., petrol.'] 



ON HOKEOPATHIC DIET AND REGIMEN. 



BY P. CURIE, M.D., &c. &c. 



COMMON PRACTICE IN THIS RESPECT. 

In none of the medical schools which have 
preceded that of Hahnemann, have the rules 
for the adoption of regimen been fixed upon 
a sound and invariable basis. Each school 
has formed these rules upon its peculiar 
views of the nature of disease : and thus, 
while some prescribe an extremely low diet, 
others order, or permit the use of, the most 
nourishing aliments and stimulating wines. 
The object of the former is to subdue that 
irritation, which they consider to be the 
generating principle of the disease, by an 
almost total abstinence from food, — whilst 
the latter attempt to counteract, by stimu- 
lants, that debility which, in their opinion, is 
often the foundation of the malady. 

The examination of the doctrines and rules 
of each school, will demonstrate the existence 
of these contradictions and uncertainties ; and 
I do not hesitate to affirm, that this will con- 

11* 



122 



tinue until the homoeopathic law is adopted, 
which, by giving a fixed and sure basis to 
therapeutics, will, at the same time, destroy 
all uncertainty regarding regimen. 

Homoeopathic Rules of Diet and Regimen. 

The object to be attained by attention to 
regimen in the treatment of disease, is to 
place the patient in a condition the most 
favorable for the action of the remedy ; and 
to accomplish this, the two following rules 
are considered essential. 

1st. To prohibit the use of every descrip- 
tion of aliment which possesses medicinal 
properties, or which might destroy or modify 
the action of the medicines administered. 

2d. To regulate the quantity of such ali- 
ments as are allowed to the patient, in order 
that the daily waste of the constitution may 
be supplied, without overcharging the diges- 
tive powers. 

The homoeopathic physician prohibits his 
patients from using spirituous liquors, spices, 
acids, strong tea and coffee, and aromatic 
substances. He also excludes from their 
regimen, every aliment which his experience 
informs him is of difficult digestion, and in 
general all fat meats and the flesh of animals 
which are too young ; as well as all fruits of 
bad quality, or which are not perfectly ripe. 



123 



He moreover recommends them not to reside 
in marshy districts, nor in dark and damp 
streets, in which there is no free circulation 
of air. For similar reasons, he advises them 
to avoid public meetings, and large parties, 
where the temperature of the air is either too 
elevated, or vitiated by the number of persons 
breathing it. 

The aliments to be preferred, are such as 
the patient digests with the greatest facility .; 
and, in this, experience alone can guide him. 
The physician can neither predicate those 
which will be agreeable to him, nor those to 
which he has a dislike. The patient is allow- 
ed to drink pure water, weak beer, or a very 
small quantity of wine mixed with water. 
Wine undiluted, as well as tea and coffee, 
are allowed only to patients who have been 
long accustomed to their use, and who would 
suffer from privation of them. The physi- 
cian must decide in what cases they ought to 
be entirely prohibited, or be only partially 
permitted ; but even when it is necessary to 
allow them, they ought to be taken in much 
smaller quantities, and much weaker than 
usual. It is also strongly recommended to 
the homoeopathic patient to avoid everything 
which is culculated to excite strong emotions, 
and all excesses either of labor or pleasure. 

Exercise is likewise a very important ele- 
ment in the homoeopathic regimen. It is 



124 



indispensable that patients afflicted with a 
chronic disease, should not lead too sedentary 
a life. They ought to take exercise daily in 
the open air, to as great an extent as their 
strength will permit ; and if they are unable 
to walk, they ought to be taken out in a car- 
riage, although this mode of exercise is less 
salutary than walking. If the patient is too 
ill to partake of either of these modes of ex- 
ercise, the air of his apartments ought to be 
frequently changed, and the greatest atten- 
tion paid to cleanliness therein. 

Hot baths are not permitted in homoeo- 
pathic treatment ; but sponging with cold or 
slightly-tepid water is recommended in pre- 
ference. 

These, of brief Duration in Acute Diseases. 

The regimen here pointed out is more espe- 
cially adapted to the treatment of chronic 
diseases. But it is also suitable in acute 
complaints ; although, in the latter, it is sub- 
ject to many particular modifications which 
cannot be detailed in a work like the present. 
I will only observe here, that rigorous atten- 
tion to diet in acute disorders, is rarely of 
long duration in homceopathic practice. In 
no case is the patient restricted from taking 
food, except in cases where he has a positive 
disinclination to it ; and whenever the desire 



125 



for food returns, he is allowed by degrees to 
indulge it. Besides, the duration of acute 
diseases being infinitely shorter by the ho- 
moeopathic mode of treatment than by that of 
the old school, the duration of dietetic restric- 
tions is also shorter, and consequently the 
inconveniences arising from long abstinence 
from food are avoided. 

Such Rules Accessory, not Curative. 

From the preceding observations, an opin- 
ion may be formed of the rationale of the 
homoeopathic regimen. It will be remarked 
that we consider it only as accessory, and 
not curative ; and that, consequently, there 
is a wide difference betwixt the homoeopathic 
school and that which has been called the 
expectant — that which looks to the efforts of 
nature for everything, and proclaims diet, 
water, and exercise, to be sovereign reme- 
dies. 

No doubt, diet, water and exercise, are 
excellent things. Unquestionably, for him 
who has too constantly remained within 
doors, it may be well to prescribe exercise. 
To another, who has gorged himself with the 
delicacies of the table, it may be proper to 
recommend moderation in eating, and to dic- 
tate such a diet as will give the alimentary 
system time to recover from the effects of 



126 



repletion. And, to him who has indulged in 
an excess of wine, it may be wise to prescribe 
water : to deprive him for a time of that in 
which he has indulged to excess, is easily 
understood, and it may alone be ■ sufficient tb 
re-establish the health, which the abuse of it 
had deranged. 

We should not have mentioned the expect- 
ant school at all — as it enjoys credit only 
with those who are absurdly credulous—had 
it not been that we have always been repre 
sented as ranging ourselves under its banner. 
Those who have seen the success of the ho- 
moeopathic treatment could not well deny it ; 
but they have preferred attributing this suc- 
cess to the regimen, and not the principle, 
and to that curative virtue of homoeopathic 
doses which we proclaim. Their arguments 
appear to us to be quite unfounded. It is 
easily seen that our regimen is infinitely less 
severe than that which is commanded bycer- 
tain other medical schools ; for we always 
allow to our patients a quantity of substantial 
nourishment in accordance with their appe- 
tite and digestive powers. 

It is true that, even in this objection, our 
system of diet is, so far, well understood ; but 
its excellence is dependent on this, that it 
does not injure the constitution of the pa- 
tient, and more especially on its favoring 
the most simple and beneficent therapeutic 



is? 



which has ever existed. But, on this pointy 
it has justly been asked, — if Homoeopathy 
has really performed so many wonderful 
cures by its dietetic prescriptions alone, are 
not the routine practitioners criminal if they 
continue to torment their patients with bleed* 
ings, leeches, cupping, setons, artificial ul- 
cers, hot irons, disgusting draughts, pills and 
other kinds of dangerous and repugnant me- 
dicines ? 

Assuredly, if the homoeopathic regimen 
contributes to the preservation of health, it 
has no more power than any other system in 
destroying disease. And those who advance 
the opinion, that it is the strict attention to 
diet, exacted by the homoeopathic physician 
which alone produces a cure, ought to feel 
the absurdity of supposing examples of such 
diseases as cholera, typhus, or bilious fever, 
being cured by such means ; and as regards 
chronic disorders, no one has effected their 
cure by a regulated diet alone. We know, 
on the contrary, that by adhering for a long 
time to a low diet, the organs of digestion 
are weakened, the susceptibilty of the nerv- 
ous system increased, and that thus new 
disorders may be produced. All this is so 
true, that it is only those of the routine phy- 
sicians who have very naturally lost confi- 
dence in their art, who have adopted this do- 
nothing practise* 



128 



The argument of our opponents is the less 
reasonable, even allowing it to be possible to 
cure by regimen alone ; for, in that case, of 
what use are the long and difficult studies of 
the medical practitioner ? and why does he 
devote his time to them if they lead to* 
nothing better than to a simple diet ? This 
would be placing a very low value upon the 
labors of those who have devoted their lives 
to the advancement of a science which they 
consider one of the most important : it would 
be placing that science itself in a low rank, 
and it would leave little hope to those who 
expect to derive from it some alleviation of 
their sufferings. 



H 23^83 



.4 ^ : 



>^v V .* 





v>,_ • 













«°* 






• * * A 




^.•i&fc 






<> •*7vV .0 







*,.»•_•• *o 



o • » 









»> 




















<j. •-77i* 



. »• A 











LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




